Seven Years Later
by DA2003
Summary: The peace which has blessed the Galaxy since the fall of the Dark Kingdom now comes under threat as new enemies and old friends bind together to combat this danger. Sequel to Marriage of Convenience. Read and review!
1. Old Faces And New

Seven Years Later

Diplomacy, Princess Serena reflected, was certainly one of the easiest aspects of her duty as heir to the Throne of the Moon Kingdom. She always liked meeting new people and with the peace that had blessed the Galaxy these last few years, this pleasure was only added to. She looked out from the balcony of the front of the Palace, the attack by the Dark Kingdom seven years ago had led to the building being rebuilt on a massive scale.

A chill ran down Serena's mind as she thought that, seven years? Was that all? It seemed more like an eternity. The changes in her life since then had been incredible, not just with the Palace and her taking on full responsibilities of a Princess of the most powerful World in the Central Quadrant, but also on a deeply personal level. From the balcony, Serena could see to Lunos, rebuilt and as proud as it had once been with the new buildings reflecting the old ones much in their style. With a full summer day, Serena could quite clearly see the Gohan Ox Park, the one new landscape project out of the rebuilding efforts. It had been the only thing Serena had supported in giving Gohan's name too, she remembered her friend and husband not one for glory, but one who wanted peace. A place where families could be together was the most fitting tribute she could think of for his memory.

To pull her from her thoughts however, Serena heard a cough behind her, one from a familiar and welcome voice. She turned with a smile as she faced her husband, Prince Darien. He stood in a full formal uniform suited for his position only spoiled by the two year old girl balanced in his arms. Dressed in an immaculate state dress, the girl looked on in wonder at all around her as most children do that age, somewhat spoiling Darien's attempt at dignity. Serena could not help but giggle at the sight, thinking that at least this time the girl's hands weren't covered with chocolate. Serena walked over to them and tapped her daughter's nose gently "Have you been a good girl? I hope you haven't been giving daddy trouble Rini."

The girl smiled brightly and shook her head "Bin good!" She stated happily as Darien pulled a face at the words.

"This is the fourth jacket I've had to put on." Darien said matter-of-factly "I tell you that we shouldn't spoil her with chocolate. It gets everywhere."

"Oh don't be such a stick in the mud Darien." Serena said, straightening out Rini's hair as she spoke "All kids like sweets don't they?" She addressed the last question to Rini, giving the girl a tickle under the chin, causing her to gurgle in delight.

Darien sighed as he heard those words, trying to get through to his wife "I sure they all like having their own teeth not being rotted by sugar by the time they reach thirteen as well." He said in an admonishing tone. Serena had matured considerably these last few years, but when it came to her daughter, several blind spots had developed.

A withering look came from Serena as she stepped back to check over Rini's appearance "We'll talk about it later. For now, we've got to receive visitors." She leant over and spoke directly to Rini "And you know who that is don't you?"

"Goon!" Rini shouted out happily, the nearest she could get to her favourite playmate "Goon! Goon!"

A look was shared between Serena and Darien as they grinned at Rini's mispronunciation "Close enough." Serena said happily before walking past Darien "Come along you two, we don't want to keep them waiting!" Darien quickly followed Serena, taking her hand in his while continuing to carry Rini. The family made their way through the Palace, greeting the servants along the way as they headed towards the public gardens where the meeting was to take place. As they stepped out into the light of the gardens, Serena looked over them, remembering how much had happened seven years ago and the ever present pang of guilt struck once again. She had not forgotten, she never could.

The three made their way to the fountain in the centre of the garden, one that had been built during the reconstruction of the Palace. It was the largest structure in the garden, plenty of room to sit along and rest, which three people were currently doing. As Serena, Darien and Rini got closer; the ambassador from the Saiyan Empire and his own family came into view. The faintest twinge of sadness was felt in Serena's heart as she looked at Kakarott and his family, particularly the small boy laughing in the man's arms. If not for her, there would have been four people standing there.

A look from Kakarott pulled her from her guilt as he called out to her "Serena! Good to see you again." He said, standing up while putting his son on the ground. The young boy looked over and his eyes gleamed as he saw Rini, starting to rush towards her.

The young girl's eyes lit up when she saw the young boy and she held out her hands in front of her "Goon! Goon!" She squealed in delight, holding out her hands towards him.

The boy stopped in his tracks and pouted a little at her "How many times do we have to go through this? My name is Goten. Go-Ten. Can you say that?"

Rini's face looked blank for a moment before brightening up again as she said "Goon!" Much to everyone but Goten's amusement.

"Looks like you'll have to get used to Rini's way of saying things Goten." Darien said as he lowered Rini down to the floor, her small legs slowly going forward as she walked to her favourite playmate. Goten quickly rushed up to her, giving her a hug as the two met causing the girl to giggle happily.

As the two children started their games, Serena gave a small curtsy to Kakarott as befitted his position as ambassador "It's a welcome sight to see you and your family. How have you been?"

In return to the curtsy, Kakarott bowed although the actions were merely habits of formality, their friendship having rendered them largely unnecessary "We've been well thank you Serena. Especially since the cargo of food came in from Earth. I thought we'd have to go without beef for a few days, man I was worried!"

Despite living on the Moon Kingdom for the better part of six years, the different eating habits had yet to sink in properly. Overlooking Kakarott's dense nature for now, Serena turned to Chi-Chi giving a much more formal bow "It is good to see you too Chi-Chi."

The only reply Serena got for that statement was a curt nod. Chi-Chi had been far less forgiving than Kakarott concerning Gohan's fate and had always been hostile towards Serena even if she had not acted upon her hostility in any great way. Chi-Chi walked past the Princess and went over to Goten and Rini, making the excuse that she'd make sure Goten wouldn't play too rough. Kakarott watched his wife go sadly; he understood her pain but had managed to forgive Serena. He could only hope that she would manage to do the same one day. He turned to face Serena once again, noting the glimmer of pain in her eyes but decided to move on as a distraction from it "I have some news from Emperor Vegeta."

Both Darien and Serena's ears pricked up at that. Ever since the Dark Kingdom had collapsed, the Southern Quadrant had been completely up for grabs which had benefitted both the Saiyan Empire and the Moon Kingdom immensely. The two powers had quickly moved to grab as much as they can which was quickly causing tensions to rise between them again. Queen Serenity was away on negotiations with several powers to finally sort out who was to get what with the results being very slow to appear. Any news from Emperor Vegeta was an interesting development.

"The Emperor has told me that he's willing to drop claims on the Worf system in return for allowing greater food supplies from Moon Kingdom trading posts near Saiyan claims." Kakarott kept his face straight through that, having memorised the message clearly. Serena knew more than enough about Saiyan eating habits however to guess that the Empire had overstretched itself in its claims, leaving the supply situation precarious.

"That certainly is a generous offer Kakarott." Serena stated truthfully, the Worf system was a cluster of Planets that had large mineral resources "But why am I being asked and not my mother? She is at the conference with the Emperor after all."

Ever honest Kakarott honestly looked blank at that "Good point. I'll have to ask the Emperor when I see him next. Maybe she was too busy to give an answer?"

Serena gave a nod at that, not entirely believing it herself. Whatever Emperor Vegeta was planning, she'd have to be prepared for it "The decision is ultimately my mother's Kakarott. She is the one to be asked. But if it is my opinion you're after, then I believe it is a good deal."

"I'll be sure to tell the Emperor when I speak to him next Serena." Kakarott said before looking over to where Chi-Chi was playing with Goten and Rini, the little girl trying to take a hold of Goten's tail, grinning at the soft feel of the fur.

A smile crossed Serena's face as she said "Reminds me of me and Gohan…" She realised what she had said and looked embarrassed at her words.

Her doubt was assuaged with a simple smile from Kakarott "I know, Goten reminds me of his brother every day. The two would have got on well." Kakarott shared a glance over to his young son, his mind full of regrets for a moment over the fate of his son and his inability to have helped him. He shook that from his head however as he walked over to his wife, putting a hand on her shoulder and smiling down at the three "Having fun I see." He said cheerfully.

Sadness enveloped Serena's heart once more at the scene before her. She could not stop feeling the guilt of her involvement of Gohan's death. She had promised to honour Gohan's memory to her dying day, something she had never stopped doing. Feeling her thoughts, Darien draped an arm around Serena's shoulders, giving her a smile to comfort her. Serena returned it half heartedly before starting to walk over to the group. Official business was more or less over for now, the time for being together was here.

XxX

Several million miles away, another Princess was deep in thought as she walked through the depths of her own Palace. Like the Moon Kingdom, Jurai had spent the last seven years recovering from its brief Civil War and had emerged stronger than ever. This was highly beneficial for one person in particular. As she walked through the corridors which made up the ancient dungeons of the Palace, Princess Sasami reflected upon what she was about to do. The culmination of seven years planning could very well have her brought before a court on charges of treason or an act of War at the very least.

These facts however, only served to urge Sasami onwards in her determination. She saw herself as being on a mission of justice and would punish the guilty, regardless of the costs. The dungeons stored the tool of her mission, where the only confidant in her mission resided. Actually finding her had been a great task in perseverance by Sasami, the woman in question being a wanted criminal throughout the Galaxy. Her hiding place in the very bottom of the Palace on Jurai being a spectacular piece of irony on Sasami's part.

Despite the fact that she was sure that no one would come down here, several traps had been built into some of the corridors to discourage anyone from going further than the higher levels. Sasami had them all memorised in her mind and how to avoid them, having to hop and skip at times to avoid the trick tiles which would activate the traps. When she finally reached one section of the corridor that seemed no different than the rest, she reached out and touched one section that looked like all other sections. It must have been vastly different however as no other section of the wall would have made the bricks slide open and reveal an opening that the Princess darted through as it quickly closed behind her.

As with every other time she had entered this room, Sasami was left with a sense of awe at the dozens of machines and devices laid scattered around. A large chamber itself, it was almost full with the many inventions of the woman with the creativity of an entire civilisation and roughly 0.000001% of the sanity. Sasami looked around the chamber for her aid in her mission and saw her, or rather, the large shock of jagged pink hair which stood out above a table which obscured the rest of her body.

A series of bangs and smacks were heard as Sasami approached, leading her to wonder what the scientist was up to now. When she reached the work table, Sasami leant over and said "What're you working on now Washu?"

The woman stopped her tinkering and popped her head from under the table, giving Sasami a grin "Hey there squirt." Washu said with her usual lack of formality and respect for Sasami's position. Even though Sasami knew he should be insulted, she found something quite refreshing in her attitude, Jurai being quite stagnant when it came to Court life. Washu straightened up and placed a device on the table, looking like a metallic rugby ball with a series of ominous looking buttons set along the side "The freaking toaster's broken again. Ever since I added that nuclear accelerator, it hasn't worked quite right."

Sasami went to ask the question but stopped herself quickly. When it came to asking about many of Washu's technological innovations, ignorance was definitely bliss "I've come to ask about your progress on the suit."

A sigh came from Washu's lips as she threw her hands up in the air "That again? Honestly Sammy, we need to get you a hobby, or a boy. Look at you; you're eighteen years old, good looking and a Princess. We could have men throwing them before your feet with a bit of time and effort." Sasami blushed at those words, even if she knew them to be true. Over the last seven year, she had a growth spurt and her figure and curved out from a young girl's to a young woman's. The majority of her freckles had disappeared although a few remained along her nose and cheeks. She had grown into quite a beauty but it was not something she was willing to take advantage of.

Despite Washu's words, Sasami overlooked the truth of them and went on "If I wanted compliments, I'd have organised a tea party with my mother and sister. A report on the suit will be fine. Is it any closer to completion?"

A smirk crossed Washu's face as she crossed over to another work table nearby which was covered with a sheet "We really need to get you a boy Sammy. I'm thinking a girl's night out, you and me painting the town red. What d'ya think?"

Despite her attempt to retain a serious countenance, Sasami couldn't help but smile a little. Alone of all other people, Washu could bring a smile to her face to her extrovert nature that bordered on the unbelievable pretty much all the time "I think that the Princess of Jurai and the most wanted criminal scientist in all the Northern Quadrant couldn't go out without attracting some unwanted attention."

"True, but think of all the boys we'll get in doing so." Washu held onto the sheet and pulled it off, revealing the reason behind her current employment. A metallic suit, skin tight with a silver sheen to it lay on the table. It practically gleamed in the light, it being fitted exactly to Sasami's height and body form perfectly. The suit ran from the feet to the neck, stopping just below the throat, leaving the head free. Washu gave a smile as she looked at the suit, it being her pride and joy in her work "Well, it looks as if it'll be complete soon Sammy. The specifications you wanted were hard to get right but they're almost complete now. A week or two is all I need to perfect the process and it'll be up and running."

While Washu would happily admit she was very much a mad scientist, the look in Sasami's eyes as she gazed upon the suit and heard those words put her nerves on edge. Her employment under Sasami had started five years ago, the Princess showing ingenuity not normally associated with her sort in tracking down Washu after a two year search, not with an attempt to capture, but a job offer. For whatever price Washu demanded, she would in turn build a suit able to absorb both magical and physical energy while also amplifying the wearer's ability to fight a hundred fold. Not one to ask too many questions at such an opportunity, Washu had leapt at the offer and had spent the better part of five years in the dungeons of Jurai, working on her project with Sasami waiting impatiently.

Truth was, Washu had come to like the girl in front of her. She had provided stability in a life that very much needed it and been the only constant companion Washu had ever had since most of her pets generally wound up as an experiment somewhere down the line. To see that look on Sasami's face worried Washu for some reason she couldn't quite explain. Deciding she couldn't wait any longer, Washu asked the question she should have done five years ago "So Sammy, what's the suit for? I shouldn't think Jurai needs much defending since your mother took over everything."

There was no answer at first as Sasami ran her fingers across the suit, the strange metal so smooth and cold. When she finally managed to speak, she only gave the briefest of replies "The suit is not for defence, but for justice."

"Justice against who?" Washu asked, wondering if she'd spent the last five years aiding someone in a personal vendetta.

"You'll find out soon enough." Sasami said enigmatically, her fingers finally lifting from the suit as she turned back to Washu "Needless to say, whatever you've been hoping to receive for this job, you'll get it and lots more besides." Sasami paused as she looked back up towards the ceiling, her smile fading a little "I need to be going for now, I'll bring some food and other supplies later tonight. I'll see you then." Not even waiting for a reply, Sasami turned around and exited, not wanting to hear anymore questions. As she left, Washu had to admit the girl was Royalty alright, no one else could assume that level of arrogance and get away with it.

For the first time in a long while, Washu was having second thoughts regarding her project. The reward for it wasn't really a motive, the joy of science itself being the major driving factor in all her work. Leaning over the suit, Washu wondered just what she had helped create and to what end it would serve…

XxX

A brightly lit Palace, covered with splendour and riches, that was had all he had known, all he could remember. For years now he had served in one room, at the side of his Queen, never wavering in his duty as he stood to attention, protecting her from all. He was a young man, handsome with dark hair that fell down to his shoulders and a neutral expression ever on his face. His clothes were of rich and fine quality, the finest and strongest silks making up his outfit. Only one item was on him which looked crude. A metal necklace, thick and bulky that seemed to serve no real purpose other than to be there and to make the young man look like some kind of slave.

Such thoughts were not new to the man however and he was used to keeping them to himself. All he could do was stand by the Throne of his Queen and guard her, that was his duty, even if and when she got other ideas. For now however, the man seemed safe, his Queen busy with business. The small General Nezu was standing to attention, her short stature not detracting from her seriousness manner… too much. The Queen lounged on her Throne, openly enjoying the younger woman's vain attempts to hide her terror "So then General Neru, is everything going according to plan?" The tone of Galaxia's voice easily displayed what she wanted the answer to be.

The small woman trembled slightly at the question and nodded hard "Y-Yes my Queen. All our forces are gathering as planned; only your order is needed before we strike."

A sadistic smile crossed Galaxia's face at the news "Good Neru, we shall soon see ourselves at War with the Moon Kingdom." She leant over to her side where the man stood "A celebration should soon be in order don't you think?" Her finger ran up the man's arm, causing him to inwardly shudder. Every touch she placed upon him felt disgusting; he wanted to break that damn finger. But the Queen had a great influence upon him, one he had not been able to break for seven years. As much as he wished otherwise, he would have to bear it.

"There is another piece of information your Majesty." Neru said nervously "It seems as if the conference between the powers regarding the Southern Quadrant will come to fruition. The Saiyan Empire is compromising on various issues."

"Compromising?" Galaxia asked rhetorically, amused as ever "Emperor Vegeta must be getting old. Ah well, no matter, even united the rest stand no chance against us, particularly with this handsome man with us." Once more, Galaxia traced a finger along the young man's arm, making him flinch in disgust. Overlooking that gesture, Galaxia went on "He's the strongest being under my control. With him and all others, the entire Galaxy will be ours."

General Neru looked at the man for the first time, not without some trace of jealousy towards Galaxia. The young man's good looks and bangs of dark hair certainly made him desirable and the clothes he wore did little to hide the muscles underneath, his firm figure certainly easily seen. A sudden glare from Galaxia brought Neru down to Earth with a hasty bump "You are dismissed General." Came the icy command from Galaxia, causing Neru to gulp in panic and use her magic to vanish completely, leaving Galaxia and the young man alone.

The young man tried to avoid the Queen's eye, every time she looked at him like a dagger in his soul. Only the influence Galaxia enjoyed over him prevented him from striking her down. Despite his better judgement, the young man asked "Is there anything you wish of me my Queen?"

The regret he felt at these words was instant as Galaxia grinned like a cat with a mouse "Oh, there is certainly one or two things we can do together…"

The man felt the bile at the back of his throat rise at those words. As much as it sickened him, he would bow to her will as he had done so many times before. And he would feel another part of him die towards the impotent rage inside him. His will hers to shape, the young man could only murmur "Y-Yes my Queen." Despite his strength, despite being powerful enough to destroy Worlds, this woman owned him and she used it to her full advantage. The disgust and powerlessness he felt was only matched by his fury, unable to find the ability to resist, he could only wait for a chance to rebel. Something he hoped would come before he was completely dead inside.

To be continued…

***Sigh* You know, I really wanted to get at least two other projects out the way before even thinking of starting on this one. But the ideas kept coming and they refused to stop until I started writing. Anyway, Hope you enjoyed the first chapter of this sequel and please, read, enjoy and review!**


	2. Confrontation

Seven Years Later

Seven years was a long time. Seven long years of the same actions over and over again. The Eastern Quadrant, never the most exciting of places was deadly dull for an officer of her Majesty's Army. Of course, it had not always been that way, seven years previously; the Quadrant had been rife with anti-Government activity with banditry and smuggling being rife. All that had changed however with the arrival of Captain Cosmos and his quick motions to take over affairs. Despite being a mere Captain, subordinate to various other officers in the Quadrant, his own prestige due to his actions of previous Wars making him hugely respected despite his disgrace and exile.

Within two years of arrival, the Eastern Quadrant had largely been pacified and his own rank (Despite Queen Serenity's extreme reluctance) brought back up to a Lieutenant-Colonel and third in the chain of command in the Eastern Quadrant, on paper at least. For nearly every day since, Cosmos had sat in his office and given out orders, written reports and tried his best to fill the time. His faced lined more with age but although his body was gradually betraying him with attacks of arthritis and the like, Cosmos's wits were still about him, ever alert for a threat.

It was one such threat that he was investigating right now. Despite managing to wipe out most bandits and smugglers within the Moon Kingdom's area of influence, one group had avoided all attempts to bring them in. They were the Wolf Fang Gang, a group of four smugglers and bandits who had proven themselves to be just one step ahead of anything Cosmos was able to come up with. They had been out of Cosmos's reach for just over three years now and were the only major disturbance in the region, something he was sure he was going to rectify.

In his bare little office, with only a flag of the Moon Kingdom as any sort of decoration, Cosmos stared down at the papers which listed the locations that the Wolf Fang Gang had previously been seen in. Worlds throughout the Eastern Quadrant had been that they had been spotted on with a distinct pattern being shown. The route they had followed was amongst the poorer colonies of the Moon Kingdom, with only one left, the World of Sulu Four. It was one of the most poorly maintained colonies with few, if any colonists from the Moon Kingdom on it.

At the same time however, Sulu Four was very rich in food supplies, the farming there being highly lucrative despite the lack of numbers. For food supplies, the Wolf Gang Four would definitely be there. Cosmos smiled evilly, and he would be there to greet them…

XxX

A deadline was not something Washu associated with her work as a rule. She worked how she wanted, when she wanted for whatever she wanted. This had come to change with the commission with Sasami and her stating the project would be finished within a week. Her time was now up and the suit was completed, but her doubt remained. Sasami had arrived and was in the middle of suiting up behind a wooden screen (The skin tight metal having no room for clothes underneath it) and caused her to once more reconsider what she had done.

With a sudden clink and a low whirring sound, Washu became aware that the suit was now on and being powered up. The screen was pushed aside by Sasami and Washu looked over, allowing herself to smile in a craftsman's pride at the result. Sasami herself had a slight blush on her face, she had realised while putting on the suit that it revealed her feminine figure rather more than she actually liked. Despite that failure of modesty however, Sasami felt overjoyed at the suit. It covered her from throat to toe, glimmering in the light as Sasami twisted around to look at it over her body.

"So, what d'ya think Sammy?" Washu asked as the Princess checked the suit out.

In response to the question, Sasami grinned at the older woman before holding out a hand, feeling energy course through her body as she concentrated it into a ball in her palm. Her lessons in manipulating energy from Gohan had never been forgotten and only built upon with secret studies. She could attack with such energy and was preparing to with all the force of justice. The ball in her hand grew incredibly considering the effort she was putting into it, the size growing to almost half her body. Sasami grinned evilly as she felt the energy course in front of her, the power being beyond her expectations.

Washu looked on nervously at the girl's face as she let the energy disappear, the glow fading into the very air. The scientist had done wok for more than a fair share of power hungry warlords and bandits over the years but none of them had ever matched what Sasami had looked like when she saw the affects of her suit on her power. Feeling one of her rare cases of professional responsibility, Washu spoke up "Sammy, what is that suit for? Five years I've been building that, I think I've earned the right to know."

No answer was forthcoming at first as Sasami instead leapt backwards and did half a dozen back flips before landing perfectly on her feet. Confident that the suit didn't impede any of her movements, Sasami spoke "It's… personal Washu. But you'll find out in two weeks anyway. Now, what do you want as payment?"

The tantalising question of payment ran through Washu's mind before being reluctantly cast aside. She had grown too really like Sasami, she didn't want to see her hurt herself, especially by her own hand "Look Sammy, I don't care about the payment, I want to know what that suit's going to be used for. No deflections, no lies, I just want the plain truth."

A long look came from Sasami, eyeing in friend as she considered her next move. After several tense moments, she relented "I'm going to use the suit to kill Princess Serena of the Moon Kingdom."

Before she could stop herself, Washu burst into laughter at that statement. Maybe it was because of the serious tone of voice Sasami had used but the absolute insanity of what the Princess said made Washu think she was joking. And considering it was Sasami who was saying it, it only made things funnier. It took some time before she finally calmed down enough to look at Sasami clearly and then stopped instantly. The expression the Princess was giving her showed that she was deadly serious "Y-You mean it?" Washu asked, barely able to believe her.

Sasami nodded as she flexed her fingers, that smile never leaving her face "Because of her, someone I deeply cared about died. I'm going to return the favour." With a swift punch to the side, Sasami struck the wall beside her, knocking a large hole the size of her fist into it. As the dust from the crushed stone fell to the floor, Sasami felt a large amount of satisfaction grow within her "Name your price Washu, I'm willing to pay whatever you ask."

The hope that Sasami had been pulling a highly out of character joke came crashing down on Washu's head as she realised just how serious she was "Damn Sammy… What do you think you're doing? You're just gonna waltz onto the Moon and kill her? And then what?"

Truth be told, Sasami hadn't thought that far ahead. Her only plan was to avenge Gohan; anything beyond that goal hadn't really sprung to mind. Such a detail was unimportant however, justice was her one and only concern "Look Washu, I'm not looking for your approval. You asked a question, you got the answer. Now, what do you want in return? I can pay you anything you wish for. Ask, and it's yours."

Temptation of monetary wealth made Washu blink but she knew that this was a lot more important "What I want is you to stop this Sammy. You're talking about ruining your life and probably starting a War. I'm not going to let you do that."

Slowly, Sasami's face turned dark and she outright glared at Washu, a look the older woman only returned. Slowly and deliberately, Sasami said "Look, this has nothing to do with you. Because of Serena, Gohan died, she has to be punished!"

"For crying out… Gohan? That Saiyan kid? That's who this is all about?" Washu had heard of the boy, the year after the Battle in the Moon Kingdom's Palace, everywhere under Saiyan and Moon Kingdom influence had honoured the boy in some fashion, everyone knew who he was. But Washu had never realised there had been any connection between the two.

"Yes, it's about 'that Saiyan kid'." Sasami's voice was laced with venom at this point. For seven years she had been forced to repress her hatred and grief in front of now, only now venting it "I loved him Washu! And Serena got him killed! She's going to get what she deserves; I don't care what the price is!"

For the first time on a long while, Washu actually felt sorry for someone. Sasami, her employer and even her friend could only have been a child when that had happened, to go through all of this, just for a pre-adolescent crush? Washu could be qualified as mad but this was damn well livid in comparison. Washu stepped forward, going for whatever authority she could muster "I'm not going to let you do this Sammy, you're better than this. I won't let you ruin your life."

A sneer, something so alien to Sasami grew across her face "You're hardly one to talk Washu. Do I need to bring up the bounties on your head?"

"So I'm a hypocrite, sue me. Fact is Sammy, you're not me, I'm not going to just let you mess yourself up like this." Washu stood defiantly in front of the Princess, knowing that if Sasami was truly serious then she could quite easily silence Washu, one way or another.

For a moment, it seemed that Sasami would do just that as she stood in front of Washu, sizing up the woman "Seven years I've waited for this Washu, seven years Gohan has needed to be avenged. You will not stop me, not now."

Gritting her teeth, Washu stood her ground and refused to move. She knew that there was only one option in order to get Sasami to stop, hopefully, it was the right one. Taking a breath, Washu went on "You want to kill Serena? All right, but you have to kill me first."

The hope Washu had that she was calling Sasami's bluff rose a little as Sasami physically blanched at the words "Kill you? Why? Don't be an idiot Washu, I'm offering you anything you can hope for, don't turn it down!"

Despite the offer, Washu knew that money was unimportant at this point, Sasami's fate was at stake and she had to stay firm "All I want at this point is for you to take of the suit and think about what you're planning to do. If not, I'll make sure everyone knows about it. Think you'll get to the Moon Kingdom when everyone knows what you're planning?"

Sasami balled her hands into fists as she felt anger like never before "No one would believe you! And they'll throw you into prison the moment you're seen! How far do you think you'll get?"

A roguish grin appeared on Washu's face for a split second "Please Sammy, there's no prison they've built that can hold me." Returning to her serious demeanour, Washu turned her back on Sammy, towards the exit of the hidden lab "You think they won't believe me? Fine. Let's go see if that's true. I'll talk with the Empress see how she feels about it. Stop me, if you can."

Five seconds was all it took for Washu to feel a rise of energy in the room behind her. She twisted around to see Sasami had raised her hand, the palm pointing towards her as a ball of energy had been summoned. A shiver of dread went down Washu's spine as she realised what Sasami was threatening her with. Her hope that it was all a bluff was shaken, but not destroyed completely as she saw the young girl try to blink back tears to little avail "Please Washu…" Sasami said in a small voice "Just… Just take the money. We can keep this a secret, all you have to do is keep quiet, just this once. Please Washu, don't make me do this."

"Make you do what?!" Washu snapped, her patience done with "Kill me? Well guess what, that's what you're going to have to do. Either call off your damn vendetta or kill me before it goes any further!" Washu practically barked out those words, hoping beyond hope that Sasami would not fulfil her threat.

Unable to blink them away, genuine tears began to fall down Sasami's face as Washu refused to budge. Her hand wavered slightly but she tried hard to rally "I don't want to hurt you Washu. Step aside, keep quiet and let me avenge Gohan. I… I'm begging you. Don't make me do this."

Washu took several steps forward, her arms stretched out as she all but dared Sasami to strike "I'm not." Washu's voice was quiet now, trying to bring Sasami down gently "I'm not going to let you do this. You want to kill someone? Start with me. Then you'll know if you're ready to kill Serena. Kill me now if you can."

After a long, long moment, where Washu was still unsure which way things would turn, Sasami finally gave up. Unable to do it, Sasami let the energy in her hand vanish into thin air as the tears began to fall freely down her face. Sasami began to sob freely as the realisation that she had failed in her mission, even before she had really begun. She couldn't bring herself to perform the action needed. Even after seven years of seething, acute hatred, she could not kill someone. Sasami sank to her knees as the tears came freely, her hatred of her supposed weakness overwhelming all else.

Washu walked over to the crying girl and wrapped her arms around her shoulders, trying to comfort her although her lack of experience filled her with nervousness. Sasami cried as seven years of hope for justice came crashing right down upon her head with no idea of what to do. Washu guided the girl onto her feet and over to a nearby chair, steadying her throughout. As Sasami sat down and continued to weep, Washu was honestly at a loss, only hoping that she could bring whatever comfort possible to her friend.

It took some time before Sasami finally calmed down long enough to speak, tears still going down her cheeks as she whispered "Why am I so weak?"

"Killing people hardly makes you strong." Washu commented wryly, the memory of Sasami staring down at her with a ball of energy close to letting fly would haunt her for some time to come.

Looking up at Washu, Sasami clearly showed the conflict that had raged beneath her, looking to all intents and purposes as if she had aged ten years in less then five minutes "But I can't avenge Gohan." She muttered numbly "What good am I if I can't do that?"

A scathing look from Washu caught Sasami by surprise, as did the elder woman's reply "Sammy, if he would have wanted you to kill people, I honestly think you need a better definition of a good man."

Sasami looked to Washu, preparing to snap at her, and then found herself thinking about her words. For seven years she had waited, her patience culminating in the completion of the suit and her seeming realisation of revenge. The memories she had of Gohan, looking past her own feelings of grief and pain made her realise that she had betrayed everything Gohan had stood for. Feeling tears once more sprang to her eyes as she hoarsely whispered "No… What have I done?"

"Nothing that can't be repaired." Washu said quickly, hoping it was true. Slowly and hesitantly, she pulled Sasami in for a hug, hoping she could comfort the young girl, for the sake of both of them.

XxX

For many years, the forces of Galaxia had seeped their way throughout the Galaxy, silently gathering power and influence wherever they went. All for the ultimate goal of total domination of the Universe, an ambition Galaxia was just now starting to act on with her myriad plans. Efforts long hidden were now coming to the fore and there was not even the slightest suspicion as to what was truly happening. The utmost secrecy had long been preserved and now, everything was coming to fruition.

The operations which Galaxia's forces had undertaken were largely under the domain of her five Generals. Two of whom were currently waiting outside the Queen's Throne Room for an audience. They were the diminutive General Nezu and the forceful General Akane, both loyal soldiers of the Queen and both absolutely terrified of her, although General Akane was far more reluctant to admit it.

They had been waiting for nearly an hour now, the way in which Galaxia ruled over her subordinates was with the utmost arrogance. It would have rankled, had not they been absolutely terrified of the Queen. After standing to attention for so long, General Akane finally gave up and slumped to the floor, leaning against the wall "What's she doing in there?" She asked sullenly.

To her right, General Nezu blanched in fear, fearing Galaxia much more than her comrade did "Maybe Her Majesty is busy briefing with another General?" She said, not wanting to bad mouth her Queen in any way.

A noise of pure contempt was uttered from Akane's mouth "Briefing? Debriefing more like. You know how she is with that 'bodyguard'." The sarcasm around the title was noted as both knew what the young man's true purpose really was.

Before she could stop herself, Nezu felt the faintest of blushes cross her face "Well, he is rather handsome I have to say." Nezu said wistfully, the blush creeping across her face.

To Nezu's thoughts on the man's looks, Akane merely gave her a look of disgust "After what Galaxia does to him on a daily basis, you still want him? That's… ugh. He's a damn Saiyan anyway."

Nezu looked up in surprise at those words, finding them hard to believe "What? You're serious?"

"It's what I heard. Got his tail removed by surgery and was dumped here for Galaxia's pleasure. Was meant to be really powerful before we got a hold of him." Such gossip was old, but Akane dispensed with it anyway, wanting to do anything to break the boredom.

"A powerful Saiyan…" Nezu mused quietly before suddenly getting an idea "Hey, you don't think that it's the same Saiyan that killed Queen-?"

The question was quickly cut short as above the two Generals, a familiar voice rang out "Well, well. It looks as if my Generals have something better to do than give reports."

Both Nezu and Akane bolted to attention at the all too familiar voice, looking up to see Queen Galaxia floating in mid-air, looking down upon them with almost savage glee at their fear. Nezu bowed deeply towards the Queen and said "Y-Your Majesty, we have come to make our report. Please forgive us for making you wait." Her begging disgusted Akane, knowing that saying so would leave her dead on the floor however.

Queen Galaxia waved her hand, as if it, and they, didn't matter "Do not worry about such trivial matters… for now at least. What have you come to report?"

Taking a breath to steady her nerves, Nezu went on "Things are going on as planned your Majesty. Our agents are set up in the Moon Kingdom, ready to strike at the Royal Family upon the night of the Celestial Gala at your command your Majesty."

A pause took place where the Queen considered this information. The Celestial Gala, the one event which would guarantee the head of every Planet being at one place at one time. A once in a lifetime opportunity, the plans for a complete strike upon the gathered Royalty and leaders had long been forthcoming, one that could easily assure complete victory, if it could be seized "And as for our wild card?" Galaxia asked.

This was Akane's responsibility and she quickly jumped at the chance to get into Galaxia's good books if possible "Princess Sasami seems to be going through with her ambitions. Our magic was able to detect the darkness within her still exists and if she goes through with her plan, we'll be able to bring further chaos into the powers of the Galaxy. I'll keep an eye on her, just in case."

"You shouldn't have to do that, if you were doing your job properly." Came Galaxia's barb that caused Akane to blanch badly, as if she'd been struck. Then going on to ignore the second General, Galaxia went back to Nezu "I shall be sending another soldier of ours to the Gala, he should be able to secure our needs and bring the Moon Kingdom crashing down."

Thinking about the strength she had heard about the species, Nezu said before she could stop herself "You mean the Saiyan?"

A deathly silence descended upon the corridor as Nezu feared she had said too much. Her fear was slightly diminished as Galaxia smiled and said "Oh yes, we'll send the Saiyan. Who knows, he might even enjoy it…"

To be continued…

**Brutal2003 – Glad you're enjoying the story. Don't worry about me dropping Sasami's revenge too soon, there's still a few cards left in play…**

**Vegeta002 – Worf System, Sulu-Four… You know, I have no idea… :p**

**Lord Edric – Princess Rini is Chibiusa, same girl, just using her less common name.**

**Shiva the Sarcastic – Glad you like Washu, she'll be featuring a fair bit in the story.**

**LanceXstorm5 – Ryoko? Well, definitely a chance, watch this space.**

**Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, just laying the ground for later. Please, read and review!**


	3. The Doctor's Grandson

Seven Years Later

Upon the World Khitomer, the pace of life was generally slow. A largely uninhabited World on the border between the Central and Northern Quadrants, it was the favourite location for any diplomatic meetings for its warm atmosphere, location and political neutrality. Queen Serenity was enjoying the first virtue at the moment, the evening Sun bringing about a lovely view of the area outside Serenity's rooms, a large lake with sloping hills in the distance made for a pleasant view as well as a relaxing one. A hard day of negotiations had finished and for now, relaxation was the order.

Just as Queen Serenity had sunken into a very comfortable chair, a small drink of iced tea in her hand, the door to her rooms opened as the guard let in a guest. Inwardly muttering at such inconvenience, Queen Serenity turned around to see Kami enter the room and allowed herself to smile. The Namek had entered her service as a true and loyal Minister in the days after Gohan's death, his advice and aid being invaluable in the following years. She knew of his own guilt regarding Gohan's death and the events surrounding it and had tried to help him get through that, with mixed success. Reluctantly rising from her comfortable seat, Queen Serenity rose to greet Kami with a smile.

"Back so soon? I thought you were going for a walk." Serenity said, a part of her starting to fear what could have cut her friend's walk short. She needn't have bothered.

From out of his robe, Kami pulled out a small slip of paper, giving it to the Queen "A message from Princess Serena. Apparently yesterday afternoon, the Saiyan Ambassador gave her an offer from Emperor Vegeta regarding the Worf System."

As she took the slip of paper and began to read the details, Queen Serenity found herself growing more and more curious by the second. Negotiations regarding the Southern Quadrant were supposed to be between those attending the conference at Khitomer only. Why had he involved Serena in this? As if reading thoughts, Kami spoke "Perhaps he was gauging Serena's own reaction to the offer to see what sort of skill at diplomacy she has?"

It certainly appeared to be a valid enough reason and the note had shown Serena had given the same answer Queen Serenity would have given for that offer. Something she presumed would happen before too long "It appears to look that way Kami." Queen Serenity said as she placed the paper on a nearby table with a half smile "Seems as if the rumours about me abdicating refuse to go away."

A smile crossed across Kami's face at the words "Maybe they wouldn't stick around if you hadn't given Serena so much authority. It won't be long before you're out of a job at this rate."

"Oh come on, you make it sound as if I do nothing." Serenity chided softly, turning around to head back to her drink "Believe me, if it wasn't for the fact there were so many Com-Screens around these days, I'd have sent the usual diplomatic team to this conference. But letting Serena have some experience by herself as Queen was as good a reason as any to sort out this issue by herself."

While Queen Serenity picked up her tea and took a sip, Kami sat down on a nearby seat as he spoke "Well she seems to have made some impression if the Emperor went straight to her instead of you. She has the makings of a true Queen."

"Yes, if only…" Serenity stopped suddenly, her words suddenly biting her as she realised what she was about to say.

Kami however knew his friend well enough to know what she was going to say "If only it hadn't come at such a price." His face had a sad expression as he knew the truth behind the words "Gohan's sacrifice has not been in vain Serenity, you know that more than anyone. Serena has honoured Gohan's memory to the utmost, redemption being her major motivation."

"I know." Serenity said "But the cost… If only so many hadn't died because of it." She gave a sigh as she thought about what had happened.

"How many times have we spoken of this?" Kami asked "And how much have we actually achieved in doing so?"

Serenity was forced to concede that point at least, there was only so much talking about it could do. Taking another sip of iced tea, Serenity changed the subject "So then the Worf system shall be ours. With that, this brings us one step closer to going back to the Moon Kingdom. With luck, we'll be back by the end of the week and in time for the Gala."

A frown quickly spread across Kami's face at that announcement, his distaste for social events coming to the fore once again "Maybe we can string out negotiations for a week or so…"

Tutting in good humour, Queen Serenity smiled a little "Oh come on Kami, this is once in a century event. The Celestial Gala will be magnificent; everyone will be there from the Central Quadrant and beyond. At least try to have a good time Kami."

The Namek rolled his eyes at that; he had never enjoyed stately balls and dinners, despite being one of the most prestigious people in the Galaxy. The drone of chatter, the food and the oppressive formality of them just got to him "Well, we'll see." He conceded "Hopefully, something will come up."

XxX

As the kettle boiled and steam whistled with an incredibly annoying pitch, Washu had to be thankful for the distraction. Getting up from her seat, she went and took it off the stove before looking over to the young girl behind her "Would you like some tea Sammy?" She asked, hoping to bring the Princess out of her stupor by making her feel as welcome as possible. Ever since she had collapsed in tears, Sasami had plunged into a near catatonic state, barely able to even function as the guilt over threatening her and her actions after Gohan's death had almost caused her to utterly collapse. She had barely moved since then, only doing the most basic things to get by.

As Washu looked over, Sasami showed little to no reaction to those words, merely keeping her face down towards the floor, keeping silent. She had barely said a word since she had broken down, only begging for Washu's forgiveness before going to silence. Unknowing on how to deal with such a situation, Washu had merely placed a comforting hand upon Sasami's shoulder and waited it out with her, only realising when her throat started to ache that neither of them had eaten or drank in nearly an entire day.

Pouring the boiled water into two cups with some tea leaves, Washu let them stay there for a moment as she scrambled around the small cupboard she used for food, taking out a small packet of biscuits that Sasami had brought down during her last visit. Hardly ideal but it was the only thing she could think of at the current time. Balancing the collection on a tray, Washu brought it over to Sasami, placing it down between them with no reaction from the girl.

Having stayed up all night with the girl, trying to offer some comfort only to be repeatedly be ignored as Sasami was plunged into guilt. Realising the soft approach was no good, Washu tried a different tact. Rising from her seat, she grabbed onto Sasami's shoulders and shook her hard. The Princess blinked in surprise at the sudden contact and shouting by Washu "WAKE UP ALREADY!!" She yelled, practically in Sasami's face "OR ARE YOU JUST GONNA MOPE FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE??!!"

That had an impact on Sasami as she gave Washu a scowl, the insulting tone of her voice firing up something inside her "Moping?! Don't you realise what I've done?! I came this close to killing you Washu! And I've betrayed everything Gohan believed in! What am I supposed to do?! How can I make up for it?!"

"Well for a start, you can forget about apologising to me. And think about Gohan, you really think this Crusade would have been what he wanted? What would he have wanted you to do, after he died?"

The truth, something Sasami had been denying for too long now came out as she had forced herself to speak "H-He would have wanted me to be happy…"

"And is this really making you happy?" Came the bitter rhetorical question.

"No… No it isn't." Sasami answered, finally acknowledging the elephant in the room. She had been so caught up in her quest for vengeance; she had blotted out almost every other emotion. Only her unrelenting hatred for Princess Serena had been her unrelenting thought, almost everything else had been blocked out.

Not noticing the nod Washu made in confirmation at those words Sasami did however listen and absorb the words that the older woman spoke "That ain't no surprise. Look Sammy, I know you're a good kid and maybe this Gohan guy was alright. But you've got to let go already. He's been dead for seven years, how many more are you going to waste to make him turn over in his grave?"

Washu bit down on her tongue the instant the words left her mouth, realising that she had gone too far. Her panic stopped however as she realised that Sasami seemed to be mulling the words over in her head rather than take offense to them "I… don't want to anymore… Washu, I've been an idiot."

"Points for stating the obvious." Washu muttered under her breath before speaking out loud "Well you can start to change that right now you know. Take off the suit; go back to your family and settle down. You can do a lot better for yourself you know."

Nodding a little in agreement, Sasami realised that her seven year quest for vengeance had to end. She had accomplished nothing and sullied Gohan's memory in doing so; she could only hope his spirit would forgive her transgression "I'll do that Washu." She said sadly "I only wish I could have realised this sooner."

Unable to let any remark like that go easily, Washu's ego quickly leapt up to her mouth "Well not everyone can be as wise and knowing as me."

Instead of tutting in annoyance at the egotistical scientist, Sasami actually giggled at the words, thinking that she was trying to bring her spirits up "I can't argue with that." Sasami said playfully before her nose wrinkled unpleasantly as she started to sniff "What's that smell?"

Now it was Washu's turn to giggle as she told Sasami "That'll be you. The suit was designed for combat, not hygiene." Washu's giggles turned to outright laughter at the look on Sasami's face as she realised just what the scientist meant. Pointing a finger to near the back of the lab, Washu managed to stop laughing in time to say "There's a shower behind the reactor I'm building. Should clean off all that sweat."

Blushing in embarrassment (And deciding to not ask Washu just why she was building a reactor), Sasami started to walk in the direction of the shower, starting to loosen the many links of the suit as she went. After waiting for a few moments, Washu heard the sound of running water as the shower started and Sasami stepped in. Looking down and seeing that the tea had gotten cold, Washu sighed in annoyance and started to make another batch, knowing they both needed a drink after this. As she started to prepare the cups and tea, she called out towards Sasami "What do you want me to do with the suit?"

The water ran for a moment as Sasami considered the solution to the question "Keep it for now! Might come in handy some day!"

As she took the kettle and filled it with water from the tap once more (Allowing herself a smirk at hearing Sasami squeak from the sudden change in temperature), Washu turned to the other problem "What about your mother? What're you going to tell her what you were doing all night?"

"I'll tell her I was with a boy!" Sasami yelled, grinning evilly as she heard the kettle give a clang as Washu dropped it into the sink in shock "On second thoughts, I'll say I got lost in the dungeons! Easy enough to do and she'll believe me!"

Muttering darkly about Princesses with strange senses of humour, Washu filled the kettle and put it back on the stove "Yeah, who wouldn't?" She said under her breath "Princess Sasami, as pure as the driven snow."

"What was that?" Sasami called out.

"I said of course she'll believe you! You're as innocent as they come!" As she said the words, Washu felt the slightest twinge of doubt, thinking back to when Sasami looked as if she'd blast her away. Putting that thought aside, Washu turned back to the kettle and making a damn good cuppa.

XxX

Work was the backbone for the Doctor's existence. Every day and night he slaved away in order to complete each and every objective that stood before him, thinking of little else. When he was interrupted, he always treated the interruption with the contempt and outrage he felt it deserved. Unless of course, it was a direct call from Galaxia herself, in which case, he received it at the double if he wanted to remain breathing. Right now a message was being sent via a small Com-Screen in his small house, directly from General Nezu herself. The young woman looked fairly put upon as she gave Doctor Gero his orders "… So in short Doctor, you are to be sent to the Celestial Gala with the Saiyan in order to see that his mission is completed as planned."

A frown crossed Gero's face at that news "And why is that? I finished my work on the Saiyan seven years ago. He's been Galaxia's toy since then. I don't see why I…"

"HEY!!! GRANDPA!!!"

"… Oh. _That _Saiyan." Gero said as realisation dawned. As hard as it was to believe, there were times when he had forgotten that the boy Slug had brought to him was the second Saiyan he had… modified for Galaxia. The fact that he had been living under the same roof as each other had only made the idea of the boy being a Saiyan be neglected and the idea that the lie Gero had been living was almost the truth. Turning away from the Com-Screen, Gero turned to the door of the small house, watching it rush in as his 'grandson' entered "What is it Ephraim?" The Doctor asked, his patience already tested.

Tall, muscled with black hair that fell down to his shoulders and hung in bangs across his forehead, Ephraim looked quite different to when he had been brought in by Slug, at least at first. The air of innocence, of goodness still held, as evidenced by the small bird cupped carefully in his hands "I found the bird out in the fields! I think it's really hurt! Can I use some of your equipment to help it recover?"

Giving the sigh of a man who's already being put upon, Gero motioned towards the lab "Take care not to mess things up." He said gruffly as Ephraim ran to the lab. He watched the boy (Well, really a young man) hurry over to take care of the small bird, worry etched in his face. Gero turned back to the Com-Screen, giving Nezu a look that warned her not to press the point, the Doctor went on "So then, both of us to the Moon Kingdom? Why now?"

"Only you and… your 'grandson' are going to help the completion of the mission during the Celestial Gala." The words were somewhat flustered, Nezu having spied Ephraim and blushed a little.

Gero gave the General a stare, realising that the rumours of her eye for handsome young men weren't just rumours. Overlooking her roving eye, Gero went on "Is Galaxia so worried about her inept soldiers that she requires me and Ephraim to do her dirty work for her?"

A small angry flush spread across Nezu's face as the Doctor impugned the ability of her soldiers and by extension; herself "You are to go to the settlement of New Lunos by tomorrow morning at ten! You will be met by the group we've sent to pick you up. From there you shall be taken to the Moon Kingdom and shall be met by our agents there. Those are your orders."

"And they shall be obeyed." Gero said roughly before leaning over and unceremoniously switching off the Com-Screen before Nezu could reply. Pausing for a moment in thought, Gero then turned to look over to the lab where Ephraim was putting the finishing touches to the bird as he helped it recover from its wound. From what Gero could see, it was only a minor injury, probably from flying into a bush but that boy had a tendency to fret over anything when another living being was hurt. It was sickening in a way.

Waiting until the boy had finished, Gero stood up and walked over to the lab table, noting despite himself that the boy had done some good work. At least he had learned something while under his roof "Not a bad job Ephraim." Gero conceded "But now we have something else to do."

"What's that grandpa?" Ephraim asked as he set aside the equipment and looked at the man who he truly believed was his grandfather. Well, looked down. The height difference was immense as Ephraim towered over Gero although he had to blow a few bangs out of his line of vision. Evidently he had not heard the conversation between Gero and Nezu, being too busy with the bird.

Waiting until Ephraim had cleared his long hair out of his eyes, Gero spoke "Tomorrow we are heading to New Lunos to board a ship that shall take us to the Moon Kingdom. The day we have been waiting for has arrived." The statement was broadly true, Gero had always expected that Ephraim would be called away for a mission for Galaxia; he hadn't really expected that he would be ordered to go as well.

Letting out a small gasp, Ephraim raised his eyes in shock at those words "You mean… I'm finally being sent away?" He had known, ever since He had first sat up from Gero's lab table that he would be called up to fight a mission against the Moon Kingdom. Long had he been told of its cruelty and oppression in the lies Gero had repeated again and again. Knowing that he would eventually be called up to strike against the Moon Kingdom, Ephraim had waited for the call. Although he hated the actual idea, the tales Gero had told him of the atrocities by the Moon Kingdom over the last seven years had rallied his resolve.

"We're both being sent away." Gero snapped impatiently "Now stop your kvetching and pack your belongings. We'll need to be off early in order to make it in time. Go! Now!"

With the order barked out, Ephraim leapt up to follow it. An obedient boy if nothing else Gero mused. Pausing only to check on the bird, Ephraim rushed off to collect his meagre belongings for the long journey ahead of them. Gero watched him go only to muse on how the boy had swallowed all his lies so easily. He had managed to suppress all his memories but his personality had remained from before the procedure. Gero was unable to believe that someone who was apparently responsible for bringing down the Dark Kingdom could be so desperately naive. He would watch Ephraim and guide him through this, not for his sake or the cause of Galaxia but simply to keep his own skin intact. Nothing else was higher in his priorities.

To be continued…

**Lord Edric – Alas, Videl will not be featuring in this fic. Not because she isn't wanted but because she isn't needed.**

**LanceXstorm5 – Karma may have something in store for Darien and indeed, quite a few other characters. Keep an eye on the top to make sure. ;)**

**Shiva the Sarcastic – Glad you're liking it. There will be a few more segments between Washu and Sasami yet to come. Hope you enjoy them.**

**KagomeSMercury – Well that wasn't Gohan but someone else… Who? You shall see in time.**

**Brutal2003 – Quite a few indeed. She's a sly minx is that Galaxia.**

**Echelon9 – Glad you're enjoying it so much. I'll have a look at the one you're writing if I can, sounds as if it'll be good.**

**Third chapter in and we're getting things moving now. Hope you're enjoying it and please, R&R! **


	4. Setting Off

Seven Years Later

The settlement of New Lunos on the World of Sulu-Four was small, the Planet being a relatively new colony made up of a mixture of peoples from the Moon, Earth and Confederation of Planets. It declared its loyalty to the Moon Kingdom largely because the Moon Kingdom had the most influence in the Quadrant. It inhabitants were mostly farmers, making a living off the bountiful soil that the World had to offer and selling it at a fairly decent profit. New Lunos was the main trading port for Sulu-Four, home to roughly two thousand people, barely even a town but to Ephraim's inexperienced eyes, it was a mighty city.

Ignoring the boy's continued pleading to stop and look at every stall in the market they were passing through, Gero pressed on towards their objective, a small bar hidden away from sight in an alley obscured from sight by a large stall selling wheat. Gero almost had to order Ephraim to follow him into the alley as he walked towards a small door that was the entrance to the bar. The two entered the small building, their eyes having to adjust to the poor light, Gero recognising the locale for what it was the moment he saw it. A den of thieves and lowlifes, where only the lowest of people dwelt, it was almost as bad as Stoke-on-Trent.

Ephraim closed the door behind them as he glanced around the bar, feeling a little uncomfortable. He'd never been in a place like this and wondered what to do exactly. Not noticing Ephraim's discomfort, Gero looked around the bar and saw the contacts, all four of them, recognising the group from the images he had been sent by General Nezu. The four were thieves and outlaws, wanted throughout the Eastern Quadrant for smuggling, banditry and stealing and were perhaps the only ones left throughout the Quadrant able to make a run like this. They were the Wolf Fang Gang.

"I see that you managed to make it here." Gero commented acidly at the group, not at all impressed by their general appearance. Two of them were women who looked about as dangerous as cardboard and the other was a bald midget for pity's sake. Only the tall man slouching at the head of the small table appeared to be any sort of true threat although a low class slob to say the least. Gero's judgement by appearances was about to undermined heavily however.

The scruffy looking man looked at Gero, very much unimpressed. He brushed some of his long dark hair out of his eyes and looked at the two people he was supposed to carry on his ship "We did. Although Cosmos definitely didn't make it easy for us. I hope you're ready to leave, the sooner we're out of here the better."

A small purr like sound was heard from the woman beside the man. A tall woman, with long light blue hair had spied Ephraim and was giving him the look most commonly found on predators before their prey "Now, now Yamcha, let them rest, we'll be travelling with them for quite a while, no reason we can't get to know each other a little better."

Both Gero and Yamcha shared a glance that, although silent, showed equal measures of exasperation. Turning to the woman, Yamcha gave her a tired look "You know Ryoko, the phrase 'business before pleasure' is something you should really take to heart."

The predator like smile once again crossed Ryoko's face as she looked at the handsome Ephraim "Oh come on Yamcha, why not have a mix of both?" She patted an empty chair next to her "Why not come sit next to me handsome?"

"Oh, I'm fine standing. But thank you for the offer." Came the oblivious response from Ephraim who smiled pleasantly at the woman. Ryoko stared at the young man, her expression, like many before her, one of trying to find out if Ephraim was having a joke at her expense.

Seeing nothing but total honesty, Ryoko raised an eyebrow and asked "You're a virgin aren't you?"

"No, I'm local, lived only a few miles out of this town in fact." Ephraim said, still clueless as to what Ryoko was after.

Ignoring the four pairs of eyes suddenly fixed on him for some kind of explanation, Gero went on "So are we leaving now? The sooner, the better." He snapped, giving Ryoko a glare, not liking her attitude one bit.

No answer was forthcoming at first, Gero himself having failed to make the best of impressions on the group. Yamcha raised a glass that was sitting in front of him to his lips, drinking the alcohol inside it and giving a satisfied sigh, letting Gero stand there and stew for a few moments before giving a reply "We're good to go. But remember, this is my ship you'll be going in. So you go by my rules and in return, you get a ride to the Moon Kingdom and no questions."

"I remember the deal that was made fine. No need to go over it again." Gero said in a tone of harsh contempt as he looked towards the group "There's no point in delaying, we need to go."

"Keep up that attitude and you won't be going anywhere old man." Came a new voice, this one from the young blonde woman who barely looked older than Ephraim "Any of us could easily teach you some respect and that boy of yours won't be of much help either."

Before Gero could retort in anyway, Ephraim finally spoke up, not wanting a fight to break out "Hey, there's no need for that. Look, we've gotten off on the wrong foot, how about we get on the ship, start the journey and make up along the way?"

A chuckle came from the mouth of the short man of the group as he gave Ephraim a look "Sounds like the kid's got more common sense than the rest of us." He rose from his seat and held out his hand to shake Ephraim's, just then realising how tall he really was "Huh, looks like someone gets a healthy diet alright. Name's Krillin by the way, the good looking blonde is my girlfriend, Eighteen. You of course have already met Yamcha and Ryoko."

There were certainly more pressing matters, but Gero's curiosity got the better of him "What sort of name is Eighteen?" He sneered.

With a sigh, one of a person who had given the same answer more times than she had ever wanted, Eighteen said "Let's just say that my parents got bored very easily and suffered from a lack of imagination when it came to naming their kids."

The realisation of Gero's face was countered by the confusion on Ephraim's "What's them being bored have to do with naming you?" He asked innocently, much to everyone's embarrassment.

Draining the last of his drink, Yamcha quickly decided to put an end to the situation "We're leaving." He said, putting down his drink on the table and rising from his seat, the others soon following him. Ephraim turned to ask his uncle the same question but was silenced with a firm stare. Gero had never really gotten round to explaining biology beyond the simplest facts to his grandson. And he wasn't planning on starting now.

XxX

Looking at the ship, Gero was left deeply unimpressed. While he was far from expecting a luxury ship like Royalty would use, the sight of the _Puar _in front of him did little to make him feel as if this trip would be anything approaching comfortable. It looked small for a ship, the size of a house and if that was anything to go by, the engine must have been relatively small. The hull was battered an grey, ugly looking with only the name '_Puar_' painted in faded white on the side as a decoration.

For Ephraim though, his first viewing of a space ship (That he could remember anyway) was met with the same reaction of a child with a birthday present "This is a real space ship!" He exclaimed upon entering it, not caring about the dented or dilapidated state it was in. The Wolf Fang Gang watched him with some amusement, apart from Yamcha; they all admitted that the _Puar _was a heap. But to see a young man like Ephraim bounce about the place in great excitement made them forget that for a moment as they watched amused at his actions. As they made their way to the bridge, Yamcha rested a hand on Ephraim's shoulder "Alright, you've had your fun, but now you've got to sit down and let us take this thing off."

Nodding, Ephraim quickly got out of the way with the others taking up their positions, Yamcha and Ryoko at the front for piloting, Eighteen at defence stations and Krillin at communications. With the silent progression of people who had done this a legion of times before, the Wolf Fang Gang started the engines and waited for them to warm up before lifting off. Ephraim watched on with great interest despite the fact that they were basically sitting and waiting without doing much. After sometime, several lights started to light up in front of Yamcha causing him to nod in satisfaction "Alright people, buckle up and let's-!"

The sentence was quickly cut short however when a sudden explosion rocked the ship, sending everyone sprawling. The communication system crackled as an order was barked through, making Ephraim screw up his face as untouched parts of his memory faintly stirred…

"_This is Lieutenant-Colonel Cosmos of Her Majesty's Armed Forces._" Came the voice over the radio waves, the _Puar _having never been fitted with a Com-Screen "_You are to surrender immediately and be placed under our custody. We have disabled your weapons with our shot. You have one minute to offer your submission."_

The radio went silent and Krillin turned to Yamcha with a sardonic smile "And this is why I said we should have gotten our radar system repaired instead of going to that casino. But would you listen?"

"Shut up Krillin." Yamcha snapped as he looked out of the reinforced material that functioned as view point to everything in front of the _Puar_. There in the sky was whatever ship Cosmos had chosen to attack them. It was a huge Warship, the very definition of overkill. With a grunt born of frustration, Yamcha looked over to Eighteen "They really take out all our weaponry?"

With a nod, Eighteen answered "Looks like they really got the drop on us. Anyone have any bright ideas?"

Professor Gero rolled his eyes at this, these people were supposed to guide him and Ephraim to the Moon Kingdom? With a wave of his hand Gero said "Ephraim, go outside and get rid of these interlopers will you? Just like the simulations I created for you."

Nodding, Ephraim left the bridge and started to walk towards a point where he could exit the ship. Ryoko looked at Gero in amazement as Ephraim exited the ship, wondering what he was up to "What do you expect that kid to do? He can't even shout at them from out there!"

Pointing at a monitor above the communications panel which showed the entrance to the turbo-lift that made the entrance from the ship to the ground beneath it, Gero answered the question "Just watch girl and you will find out the answer to your question."

The others turned their eyes to the monitor, wondering what was on Gero's mind. A question that was soon answered when Ephraim exited the turbo-lift onto the ground, took a few paces for a clear shot at the Warship above them. The radio once more crackled into life as Cosmos's voice was heard "_This is your last warning. Surrender or-!_"

The voice was cut off however as a small ball of light ascended from the ground and struck the Warship head on, causing a tremendous explosion on the ship's side. It instantly began to lose height as the giant ship moved away from the _Puar_, flying shakily over the trees of the forest which the ship had been hidden to cause an almighty roar as it crashed in the distance. The sound was low as the ship churned against the ground, tearing up tree and earth alike as it carried on for some time before finally stopping.

Up on the bridge of the _Puar_, silence reigned with the only face not showing some kind of shock was Gero's, smugness showing instead. It took a long time before anyone could talk, long enough for Ephraim to have returned to the bridge, smiling pleasantly. It was Krillin who finally broke the silence as he looked on at Ephraim with shock and more than a little awe "How… How did you do that?"

"Well I saw that the ship's class was a Princess Warship and they usually have their engines near the bottom deck on starboard side. So I aimed my attack there so that…"

"N-No." Krillin interrupted, not wanting a technical analysis of what had just happened "I mean, how did you manage to blow it out the sky so easily?! It would have taken all four of us to even make a dent in that thing!"

A smirk crossed Gero's face, his smug levels reaching critical mass "As you'll find out during our short journey, you'll discover that my grandson is not exactly as you'd expect him to be. Now then, I believe it would be best for us to take our leave before reinforcements arrive?"

The suggestion was accepted quickly as that harsh reality bit down and everyone scrambled to bring the engines back on to escape from any ensuing reinforcements. Feeling that something was owed to the boy to some extent, Gero placed a hand on Ephraim's arm (His shoulder being too high to reach) and said "Well done my boy, you took down a ship and got rid of some of the villainous Moon Kingdom soldiers for us."

Ephraim nodded before saying "Thank you grandfather, but I made sure I didn't kill any of them."

Suppressing a heartily felt sigh, Gero could only ask "What?"

A completely innocent nod confirmed Gero's exasperations as Ephraim went on "Well I remember you telling me that the Moon Kingdom used slave labour for its Warships. So keeping that in mind and the knowledge that the engines on a Princess class Warship are self sustainable without the need for immediate crew, I aimed for them and brought the ship down without casualties while also giving the slaves a chance to escape from their captors!"

Only Gero heard this, the Wolf Fang Gang having been too busy getting the ship off the ground to listen. Gero suppressed his true thoughts on the matter and managed to give a forced smile "That's… good Ephraim. Go and see if they've set up a room for us would you? I feel the need for a brief rest after all this excitement."

Nodding earnestly, Ephraim left the bridge to look for any spare living space with Gero watching him leave. Sparing the lives of their enemies? Gero reflected upon the idea that maybe he was too good a liar if this event was anything to go by. Either that or the boy really was that naïve. Thinking back to the seven years the boy had lived in his house however led Gero to realise it was certainly the latter. He could only hope that the facade would last long enough for the mission to end.

XxX

A flicker, that's all it was, a mere spark of energy in the practically infinite cosmos of the Universe. It flared briefly before suddenly vanishing, as if it was never there. It went practically unnoticed to all but those who had let their minds focus on the energy of the Universe and to further their knowledge and strength. Several had noticed the flicker of energy, almost all dismissing it as a brief spurt of strength during a fight or training. Several frowned in thought as they wondered where that the energy felt familiar in someway but mostly dismissed it before long, except one.

It had been a long, lonely seven years for Piccolo. He had been left at his own behest on an almost deserted planet by the _Yomiko _seven years ago. There was a small Space port run by Jurai colonists that was slowly expanding but beyond that, Piccolo had an entire World to himself. With fresh water aplenty, Piccolo had all he needed in order to devote his entire life to training, his rage at the loss of Gohan finding its only outlet in continuous fighting and meditation. He had not confronted his grief, only allowed it to surface when his rage was at its greatest, blasting everything in his surroundings as he vented out his frustrations.

On the odd occasion when the grief momentarily assuaged, Piccolo took to meditating in order to strengthen his mental side as a counter to his more physical exercises. It was during one such period of deep meditation that Piccolo felt it, the small spark of power that vanished suddenly. It took Piccolo one brief moment to recognise the person whose energy it was, the revelation hitting him like a tidal wave. It was Gohan; there could be no doubt about that.

Joy, amazement, disbelief and confusion flooded Piccolo all at once. How could this be possible? Gohan had died seven years ago hadn't he? Raising himself to his feet, Piccolo resolved to get to the port town, grab any ride he could and track down the energy signature. If it truly was Gohan, then Piccolo would find the truth behind his sudden reappearance. If it wasn't, then even he didn't know what he was going to do…

To be continued…

**Lord Edric – Gohan is just one of those people who're always constant methinks. But Videl will not be in this story alas, I simply have no plans for her.**

**LanceXstorm5 – There certainly will be battles up ahead and the possibility for Ephraim to fight his father is there, we shall see eventually…**

**Brutal2003 – Won't have to wait too long, Galaxia's forces are keeping an eye on the pigtailed Princess.**

**Shiva – Yes, Ephraim is Gohan's new name. And glad to hear you're enjoying it so far.**

**Cloud_Link_Zero – Actually, Ephraim is Gohan after his memory was wiped by Dr. Gero. Will we see him Ascend? Time will tell.**

**Pchu – Thanks very much for your kind words. As to whom the mysterious Saiyan is, I can say that he's going to offer an extremely tough battle later on.**

**I'd just like to apologise for leaving this alone for four months. I generally lost my writing motivation for this fic and got distracted by other projects I'm afraid. Hopefully I'll manage to keep up my motivation to crank out a few more chapters before it happens again. Hope you enjoyed and please read and review!**


	5. Sailing Through The Stars

Seven Years Later

To some, the prospect of sitting on the bridge of a ship while its engines were cooling down after a sixteen hour period of Warp Drive and looking over the Stars wasn't the most interesting way to spend time. But to Yamcha, looking out from the Bridge of the _Puar_, he couldn't think of a better sight. Everyone else had gone to their quarters to sleep while Yamcha watched over the engines as they cooled down. The ability to break the light barrier when travelling through Space was a necessity but for an old ship like the _Puar_, a cooling down period was needed so the things wouldn't explode from overheating.

The quiet was probably the best part of all of this, the silence so relaxing and really allowed him to soak up the sight before him. A silence that usually went uninterrupted for the most part. Nothing to do but silently contemplate on…

"Wow… It's beautiful." Came a voice that disrupted the peace Yamcha was enjoying. Turning round in his seat, Yamcha recognised the young Ephraim as he stared out into the void of Space, soaking up the sight. He'd been doing that a lot over the last two days whenever they were out of Warp Drive, gazing wistfully over the Stars, yearning to see all of them.

With a wave of his hand towards an unoccupied seat, Yamcha said "Sit down kid, no need to stand up. And you're right, it is beautiful, what you see here is the border between the Central and Eastern Quadrants."

"You mean we're nearing the Moon Kingdom?" Ephraim asked in a tone that made Yamcha pause. While most people would ask in that question in a tone of eagerness and even awe, Ephraim had used the same tone someone would use when asking _"This is going to hurt isn't it?"_

Suppressing his curiosity for now, Yamcha nodded as Ephraim sat at the communications section "Yeah, we only need to wait for one hour for the engines to cool before a five hour journey will see us to the Moon Kingdom. Another six hours and we're there."

Silence once more reigned out throughout the Bridge as Gohan quietly contemplated these words while looking out over the Stars "What's it like? The Moon Kingdom I mean?"

Yamcha paused as he thought about that for a moment before shrugging "Can't say I've been there often really. My line of work really kind of discourages going there without a large enough price tag. But I'll tell you one thing Ephraim, that place is going to ruin me one way or another."

Thinking of the many stories Gero had told him regarding the tyranny of the Moon Kingdom, Ephraim asked with a voice full of indignation "How are they planning to do that to you?"

A cynical smirk crossed Yamcha's lips as he gave the answer "I suppose you and your grandfather were too far away to know much about the War between the Moon Kingdom and Dark Kingdom a few years back. Well, after the Moon Kingdom won and occupied some of the Southern Quadrant, they started to uncover the work of this Sorcerer who'd been working for the Dark Kingdom; some of it included this teleportation spell that was more powerful than any before it. He could send people or items from one Quadrant to another! Can you imagine what that meant for transportation? With a skilled enough Mage you could travel entire Worlds without breaking a sweat!" Yamcha paused as he gave the Bridge a sad look "Within a few years, ships like these will be obsolete, which is really a tragedy itself."

With some sympathy towards the man, Ephraim said meekly "I'm sure there'll be other jobs out there for you somewhere…"

"Jobs?" Yamcha exclaimed, looking over to Ephraim "This isn't about jobs for me and the crew! There's something much deeper than that! Ever since Space travel started, there was adventure to be had! A huge unknown aspect about it all that just made all this worthwhile! But this spell… When enough Mages get to know it, there'll be no more mystery, no more travel, just a few equations and some incantations and you're wherever you want to be." A small sigh came from Yamcha's lips as he looked out over to the infinite expanse before them "No one will ever sail among the Stars again…"

For a while, both Yamcha and Ephraim looked out onto the Stars before them, contemplating this idea of magic destroying one aspect of Space travel forever. While it seemed like this would be the better option, cheaper, faster and easier travel, Ephraim could see the loss of the romance of travel. After all, what was going through a portal but a few steps? Yamcha was right in his way, to no longer use Spaceships; it was truly like no longer being able to sail amongst the Stars…

"What's with all the doom and gloom here?" Said a voice from the doorway to the Bridge, causing both Yamcha and Ephraim to turn round, spotting Ryoko leaning against the wall, dressed in a light blue robe, evidently having just gotten up from bed. She stepped forward, smiling at Ephraim coyly before looking at Yamcha "You're not giving him that usual bunk on the loss of Ships are you? Come on Yamcha, with this job, we'll be rich enough to forget about all that, no need to worry about what people are going to do for their travelling arrangements afterwards."

Yamcha rolled his eyes and glanced over to Ephraim "One of Ryoko's many flaws, she's got no heart. Not a drop of poetry in her."

"Hey! I can do poetry easily!" Ryoko protested before clearing her throat, preparing to give an example "There once was a girl from Beijing, who was awfully good at-."

"That's enough Ryoko." Yamcha said cutting the limerick short "Why don't you go and get changed? We're going to need you when we go back into Warp Drive." He gave the woman a harsh look to show he wasn't messing around to which Ryoko stuck her tongue out at him to show him she was.

Rather than protest the order, Ryoko realised it was an opportunity she had been waiting for and grabbed Ephraim's hand as she left "Come along Ephie! You're going to help me choose an outfit!"

More than a little apprehensive yet not wanting to appear rude, Ephraim only offered a minor protest "But I don't know anything about clothes!" Only to be ignored by Ryoko as she dragged the young man to her quarters. It occurred to Yamcha as they left that Ephraim honestly expected clothes to be involved with Ryoko, the last two days he had densely missed every last hint that she was more than a little attracted to him. Despite knowing he should really discourage Ryoko, Yamcha couldn't help but grin in amusement at the thought as to who would get the biggest surprise from the dress up…

XxX

All in all, Ryoko's quarters were not entirely what Ephraim was expecting. Then again, he had never gotten as close to a woman as he had done with Ryoko so he was entirely sure as what he should have expected. It was a single large room with a bath to one side next to a modesty screen and opposite was a bed. Not very tidy, there were clothes flung over the screen and across the bed while a small table that had a mirror perched upon it had various brushes and combs left haphazardly across the surface and a cushioned chair sat in front of the table, the actual wood of the chair standing out as being quite well made and looked quite expensive which Ephraim made a polite comment on.

"Thanks, saw it in the shop window and just had to have, even if the owner didn't realise I did." Came the reply as Ryoko slipped behind the modesty screen, throwing the robe over the top as she began to change "Oh Ephraim…" Ryoko called out coyly "I don't suppose you'd mind passing me the clothes hanging over the chair would you?"

The reaction she got as far from what Ryoko was expecting "Oh, you mean the underwear? Sure." Ephraim picked the silken item and placed it on top of the screen, enough hanging over for Ryoko to grab and pull over.

For a long moment, Ryoko was silent as she picked up the panties and placed them on before poking her head out at Ephraim, her body still covered by the screen "You really don't get to meet a lot of women do you Ephraim?"

The young man shook his head, good natured as always "No, me and grandfather lived mostly by ourselves. Only ever saw a few other people when the local traders came round although I wasn't meant to meet with any of them. Grandfather didn't want me risking giving away too much information and letting the Moon Kingdom where we were."

As Ryoko slipped on some more clothing, she began to truly wonder about this mission they had been hired for. The money was more than enough to make them forget about questions but Ryoko had grown quite fond of Ephraim and wasn't fond of the idea of him going into danger because of his 'grandfather' (Just by looking at the two Ryoko was prepared to swear that that story was as false as could be). Clearing her throat a little, Ryoko went on "So Ephraim… is Gero your only relative? No cute brothers I should know about?"

"Grandfather said they all died in a fire when I was a baby. I can't remember anything about them or anything before I was eleven. There was this lab accident… Ever since then, all I get is a blank."

Ryoko finally finished changing and stepped out from behind the screen, making Ephraim's jaw drop more than a little. He had been completely oblivious to Ryoko's advances and hints about what she wanted from him but seeing her in this outfit acted on some instincts he had long forgotten. The outfit Ryoko had on was mostly dark silks that hugged her figure closely around her upper body and legs but left a big gap round her midriff, letting Ephraim get a nice view of her toned belly. With some silk slippers on her feet, the entire ensemble looked like a harem outfit that highlighted the curves of Ryoko's body. Ephraim felt his head swim as he soaked up the sight, unable to speak at all.

"Well you won't get a blank with what we're about to do…" Ryoko said seductively as she walked towards Ephraim, drawing in close towards him, tracing his hand up his shirt until she reached the top "You'll never forget what I'll do to you…" With that, she tore at his shirt, ripping it downwards towards his chest, catching Ephraim by surprise.

Stepping backwards in shock, Ephraim turned a dark red, his entire body flushing in embarrassment, which only highlighted that which had caught Ryoko's eye. Her gaze looked down towards Ephraim's chest where a slim scar was seen just below his heart, the skin twisted and mottled in a hideous way. While usually Ryoko would have been soaking up the sight of Ephraim's well trimmed and muscled physique, the scar had sent a shiver through her, recognising it for what it was, the after affects of dark magic. Ephraim noticed where she was looking and instantly covered up his chest, averting his gaze from her, embarrassed at the scar being uncovered "Just… Something from a lab accident, that's all…"

"A lab accident?!" Ryoko called out scornfully, not believing that for a second.

Mistaking the words for a question, Ephraim nodded "It was the same one that made me lose my memory. Some equipment blew up and was embedded in my chest. Grandfather was able to remove it but it left… this." He motioned towards the scar, visibly upset at even having to mention the thing.

For once, Ryoko felt a glimmer of compassion overcome her libido as she brought her hand up to the tear and closed it up, covering the scar "Don't worry, it doesn't really detract from the rest of you. You are really quite a handsome young man."

Ephraim paused before smiling a little at the compliment as he averted his eyes, still embarrassed at it all "Y-You really think so Ryoko?"

A predator like smile crossed Ryoko's face as the glimmer of compassion faded and her libido crept up again "Oh yes. I know so Ephraim." She said as she wrapped her arms around his body, pulling him closer "And I'll show you just how much I know." Ryoko leaned in close, preparing to bring her lips up to Ephraim's as she prepared for a kiss.

Ephraim didn't resist, his heart was pounding like a jackhammer, banging hard against his chest as he saw Ryoko lean in close. He knew what could be called the 'bare mechanics' but he never once thought this would happen to him. He was left no time to even think about this as Ryoko leaned in just a few inches more for the kiss before the door to Ryoko's room suddenly slid open and Eighteen stood at the entrance "Alight Ryoko, we need you for… Damnit Ryoko, can't you keep yourself from spreading them for more than five minutes?"

Ryoko's face contorted into sheer rage as she curled up her fists and glared at the woman before her "What did you say?! I'll wring you neck you scrawny little-!"

Eighteen merely rolled her eyes at the tirade and waved her hand dismissively at Ryoko "Sure, whatever you say. But we've got more important things than that right now. Everyone needs to be up on the Bridge as soon as possible, there's some weird noises coming over the radio of a hijacked Ship coming this way and we need to be on alert so we're not brought down by them. Get changed and get onto the Bridge. Now!"

With that order, Eighteen turned and left, leaving Ryoko and Ephraim by themselves as the door slid shut. With the rage from being insulted still on her face, Ryoko stomped off behind the screen once more, furious at both losing her fun and the insult from Eighteen. Ephraim looked on nervously before speaking up "I suppose I should get another shirt?"

"Yes! Fine!" Ryoko snapped before calming down, Eighteen always managed to rile up her nerves like no one else but she didn't want to completely ruin her chances with Ephraim. And the memory of his scar was seeping back, something about that did not sit right with Ryoko at all. She sighed and said in a much softer tone "You go ahead Ephraim; I'll see you later on the Bridge."

"Alright then, see you later Ryoko!" Was the cheerful reply and Ryoko heard the door open and shut before letting herself shiver with the thought of what could have done that to him. Ryoko knew enough about magic to know that what had happened to Ephraim's body was certainly powerful. Coupled with the frequent lies Gero had told, Ryoko started to severely doubt whether this job was a good idea or not…

XxX

Patience was indeed meant to be a virtue. But for many, it was a finite resource, to be guarded carefully as to avoid being used up entirely. For Lieutenant-Colonel Cosmos, this was soon becoming reality with the slow work upon finding the Wolf Fang Gang. After the surprise attack which had crippled the his Ship's engines for over a day but thankfully (And oddly) caused no casualties, a desperate search to find the group occurred with guess work being used a lot. One disturbing fact had been uncovered during the time on Sulu Four; the Wolf Fang Gang had not arrived for cargo as Cosmos had thought but to pick up a passenger, Dr. Gero.

Dr. Gero had certainly been well renowned in his youth as a brilliant man; his advances in robotics alone were still talked about in glowing terms. But down the line rumours had started to circle about less than legal activities. Before any investigation could be made, Gero had disappeared, leaving only questions. Now, it seemed as if he was back, but for what purpose? There had been another passenger; someone had overheard him calling Gero his grandfather which only added further questions.

The problem produced a strain upon Cosmos's patience like no other. Gero's work had produced results that could be outright deadly in the wrong hands while the question of where he was going was wearing down onto Cosmos's last nerve. Coupling this was a distress signal that had arrived not long after they had recovered long enough to pursue. It was garbled, hurried and essentially boiled down to _"Help! Help! A crazy Namek has taken over the Ship and he's getting us to follow someone… Arrrghhhh!!"_

Now normally Cosmos would have ignored such a plea if it meant getting in the way of his duty. But something stirred his instincts in the message. Nameks were by their very nature calm and almost serene in everything they did. Only one individual sprang to mind when Cosmos tried to think about who it could be, the Namek who had been a friend to that Saiyan boy in the Palace all those years ago. Cosmos hadn't heard about him for over seven years and the sudden appearance smacked of a little more than mere coincidence.

Cosmos had ordered the hijacked Ship to be followed, trusting his instincts as the radars noted that a course straight towards the Moon Kingdom. Despite the orders given to him by Queen Serenity, Cosmos felt he would soon be going there, but he had to confirm it first. He sat on the Bridge of his Ship as one Ensign managed to gain contact with the rogue Ship, a Jurai vessel called the _Himiko_. With a nod of confirmation by the Ensign to show that communications had been established, Cosmos spoke as his voice was sent by the radio over to the _Himiko _"This is Liutenant-Colonel Cosmos of the Moon Kingdom vessel, the _HMS Serene_. We received a distress signal from you earlier, what is your status? Respond."

A moment's silence followed before some hushed and frantic noises from the _Himiko _were heard, an argument could be picked up before a voice finally spoke over the communication, the tone disbelieving and furious "_Cosmos? General Cosmos? What're you doing here?!_"

A smile crept across Cosmos's lips as he heard the voice. He wasn't pleased to hear it certainly but his hunch had been proven correct at least "Well, well, well. Piccolo wasn't it? I could ask you the same thing. Why have you hijacked a Jurai Ship? Something pop up at all?"

There was a moment's pause as Piccolo considered this question, wondering whether or not to tell the truth. Finally, realising that if Cosmos could track him down, he could easily makes much more difficult for him; Piccolo answered "_Two days ago, I sensed the energy of Gohan. I'm tracking him down. If you want to help, feel free but don't get in my way._"

Cosmos did a double take at this announcement, Gohan? The Saiyan boy? It was impossible to even think of such an idea! But… two days ago, the same time the _Serene _was attacked. Not a great believer in coincidences, Cosmos had to admit they were piling up. There was still something that needed to be confirmed before he actually chose to believe Piccolo however "And where did you sense this energy?"

"_How should I know?! All I can be certain of that it was in the Eastern Quadrant somewhere! It felt as if he was attacking something! Now leave me in peace, it's hard enough trying to track his energy signature without you distracting me!_"

Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Cosmos reflected upon this. Dr. Gero, Piccolo resurfacing and a trail leading to the Moon Kingdom, this was not a time to act as if everything was going on as normal. Cosmos considered it to be his duty to follow this up to the Moon Kingdom, maybe Queen Serenity's heart might be softened after all this time…

Shaking away the last thought, Cosmos spoke up "Very well Piccolo. It seems we might have mutual goals at this moment. How about a bargain? The _Serene _is a far better class of Ship than what you're on now and you can help us track down those we're hunting much quicker. If you refuse, I can give the order to open fire. Think you'll last long in a barrage from us will you?"

Although he didn't reply instantly, Cosmos could tell that Piccolo would be seething from that threat and the fact that he could do nothing to stop Cosmos if he did give out the order to fire. Hesitantly, Piccolo's voice came over the radio once more "_All right damn you. You've gotten your deal Cosmos. Just keep in mind it might come back to haunt you._"

Giving a contemptuous snort, Cosmos proceeded to give the order to board to take on Piccolo. Whatever the mystery was here, he was determined to discover the answer to it.

To be continued…

**Lord Edric – Glad I'm able to offer some surprises when I can. Hope you'll have a few more before the story is through.**

**Shiva the Sarcastic – Oddly enough I really don't like Star Wars. I'm a Trekkie and proud of it. Hope I'm able to keep up your interest with it.**

**Egohan – Piccolo's here to stay and should be interesting to see how he goes.**

**LanceXstorm5 – Glad you're liking the integrating and I'm trying to make it as natural as I can although this'll most likely be the cap on the characters used for now. And yeah, I probably could do with a Beta-reader, never gotten round to getting one.**

**Chapter five up and hope you've enjoyed. I just hope I don't have to bump up the age rating for the Ryoko scene… Enjoy and please, read and review!**


	6. Arrival

Seven Years Later

Amongst all the festivals and events that took place throughout the Galaxy, the Celestial Gala was the most famous. When the Planets of the centred around the Sun of its most powerful and populated Solar System aligned in a perfect line, the magical energies that were present on the Planet aligned also, creating not only a beautiful display of lights throughout the System but also created the magical energy to make the flora of the System to grow to extraordinary sizes, farm produce increasing fourfold. Why this was so was largely a mystery, taken up by scientists and Mages throughout the Galaxy to answer this puzzle and basically get a grant for research that involved very little work aside from a note to the universities stating _'Results unclear, need more money'_.

For those who weren't freeloading academics however, the Celestial Gala was a time for feasting, fun and celebrations with the Moon Kingdom being the centre of this, its role as the Quadrant's greatest power making it the location for the meeting of every sovereign power in the Galaxy. Once every two hundred years the Celestial Gala took place and had become a tradition in the seven hundred years since the first contact between Planets had taken place between the Moon Kingdom and Earth in an exchange that lived on through history.

"_That's one small step for a man. One giant…"_

"_Oi! Get off my bloody lawn!"_

Despite a minor diplomatic spat and needing to cover the costs of a broken fence, the age of Galactic expansion and exploration had begun. The magic of the Moon Kingdom, previously obscuring it to all outside eyes now found new life in blending with technology from Earth as it spread across both the Solar System and other Worlds joined the growing Alliance. Not the fastest of processes, it took over a century before the nations of Earth alone were able to work anything resembling a workable agreement to explore the Galaxy. It took a further century and the War with the Freezing Empire before old conflicts could be put to rest and the Council of Nations was installed to make Earth one voice in the Galaxy.

Over time both Earth and the Moon Kingdom had grown throughout the Galaxy to meet with the various powers, from the divided Northern Quadrant to the Western Quadrant dominated by the Freezing Empire. Even to the empty Eastern Quadrant and the threatening Southern Quadrant, the influence had expanded with the Alliance intact, only ten years of hostility, brought about by the machinations of the Dark Kingdom. In the seven years since Queen Beryl and her forces had been struck down however, the Alliance had been repaired and stronger than ever. A fact which was to be solidified at the Celestial Gala as not only would every Head of State from the Quadrants be invited to the Gala but it would also be the first time that a representative from the Saiyan Empire would attend, Prince Vegeta, a fact that didn't do much to heighten eagerness for the event.

Despite that minor detail however, the Gala was to be attended by every power there was, including none other than Jurai, the greatest Ally the Moon Kingdom had in the Northern Quadrant. The Planet itself was to be represented by Princess Sasami, along with an unexpected guest…

"Just how have you managed to avoid security all this time anyway?" Sasami asked as she poured some tea into two small cups. They were in her personal quarters, taking a few moments on the _HMS Ryo-Okhi _to relax as the journey to the Moon Kingdom went on at a pace. The two were sat on a small table near the reinforced glass that looked over to the Stars, enjoying the view and the conversation.

In an answer to the question, Washu smirked as she picked up her cup and sipped at the contents "Oh please Sasami, the security on this ship is atrocious. All I had to do was slip on a maid's outfit and they let me on easy enough."

"Oh, you tricked them into thinking you were a servant?" Sasami asked innocently.

There was an awkward pause for a moment before Washu managed to say "Yes… Let's go with that." She slurped at her tea before hastily changing the subject "So what're you going to do at this shin-dig? Try and bury the hatchet with Princess Serena?"

Placing down her cup onto the table, Sasami gave a sigh at the question "I… I'll have to. There's no point in trying to… do what I did anymore. I'll speak to her although I have no idea what'll happen."

The pause which followed made Washu think about Sasami's fate. The suit she had built for the Princess had been left behind in her secret rooms on Jurai, Sasami not wanting to be reminded of the hated thing even if she was holding onto it for the direst circumstances. Washu oddly cared for Sasami in a way she hadn't for anyone else. Sasami was the sister she never had and for five years, the bond between them being particularly strong. Giving the Princess a smile, Washu said "Hey, don't worry about it. You two will smooth this thing out and if not, I can always strike her down with great vengeance."

Shaking her head, but still smiling, Sasami chastised her friend "Oh don't say that Washu. If I'm not going to do it, why'd you think I'd let you do it?"

Snorting with laughter, Washu proceeded to drain the last of her tea before rising up "Well since it'll only be a few hours before we get there, don't you think we should get prepared to look our best? I think a little time getting you looking your best for the boys will help."

A faint blush started to cross Sasami's cheeks as she realised what Washu was getting at although she was loathe to admit she knew "Washu, we won't be there for a eight hours yet, we can wait until we're closer before getting me into ceremonial robes."

"Oh don't play coy." Washu jibed as she walked round Sasami to place her hands on her shoulders "We're going to fix you up good for all the handsome Princes that'll be there. By the time this Gala is done, they'll be falling over each other in order to just speak with you."

Giving a sigh of submission, Sasami started to stand up "Alright, you go on ahead, I'll follow you in a minute." Washu nodded and departed without another word, looking forward to the dress up that was to follow. Sasami watched her head to the changing room before finally standing up straight and looking out the reinforced glass which made for a window out onto the Universe. Soon they would reach the Moon Kingdom and Sasami would confront Princess Serena.

In the seven years since Gohan had died, Sasami had planned revenge on the person who had been responsible for his death. Ever since she and Washu had knocked some sense into her, she had wondered about what to do. Talk to her? Confront her? Get into a fight? Sasami honestly couldn't say what her actions would be but knew now that revenge was not going to be part of her plans. Gohan's memory deserved better than that she had realised. Sasami looked out to the Stars, wondering just what this Gala would mean for her…

"Hey! Sammy! You coming or what?" Shouted Washu from the changing room an assortment of garments in her hands as she glowered at the Princess.

Pulling herself away from the view, Sasami turned towards her friend and started to head towards her "On my way Washu." She said quietly, hoping for some minor distraction to take her mind off meeting Serena.

XxX

The transportation spell devised by Babidi for the attack on the Moon Kingdom was ingenious. In the seven years since the victory by the Moon Kingdom over their foes, the few fragments that survived of the Sorcerer's research had been tremendous boon to all those who studied Magic, the idea of crossing entire Quadrants of Space meaning that exploration and transportation opened up like never before. It had taken six years in order to finally bring together Babidi's notes before the spell could be recreated without great risk.

The spell itself was deemed classified at first, only the Moon Kingdom and the Saiyan Empire had access to it. But as the realisation of trade and other possibilities opened up, so did the secrets of the spell, with large with Mage after Mage aching to learn it for their own reasons. Soon, other nations began to learn what they could of the spell and it was slowly beginning to be used. Although some were suspicious of it and stuck to Ships, those that took to the spell found it most profitable and much more convenient for use than the traditional methods.

Looking out over the gardens where a section had been cleared to give proper room for the spell to work, Princess Serena was looking forward to seeing her mother again. The work on Khitomer had been completed just the day before with a Treaty being signed outlining all influence in the Southern Quadrant by the victorious powers The Moon Kingdom was to get the lion's share due to its own part in the War while the Saiyan Empire and Namek gained their own spheres of influence due to their Alliance and own part in the final Battle of the Moon.

Serena's heart lifted as a figure stepped out from the portal with a regal dress and look. Although followed by others, Serena only looked with a smile upon her mother, pleased to see her once more. Looking tired, Queen Serenity's eyes lit up at seeing her daughter and she quickly walked over, several months of hard negotiation having made her more home sick than she'd thought.

As the Ministers who'd followed her were taken into conversation by those Ministers who'd accompanied Serena to discuss the Treaty of Khitomer and its clause, Queen Serenity and Princess Serena left to talk as mother and daughter. Kami, standing with the Ministers, watched as they walked off, pleased that Serenity was once more back with her daughter. He turned away and started discussing the Treaty while the two walked off to a secluded part of the garden for some privacy, Queen Serenity asking "And how has little Rini been without her grandmother?"

A smile crossed Serena's face at the thought of her daughter and how she had missed 'Nana Rini'. Looking over her mother, Serena noticed a few extra lines around the eyes and mouth, she still looked youthful for her years but there were signs that the years of ruling the Moon Kingdom had left its mark on her. Wondering if such marks would show on her when she ruled, Serena replied "She's missed you a lot, she's napping right now but she's been so excited to know you're coming back. And with the Gala coming up in a few days, she's practically bouncing all over the place."

Laughing slightly, Queen Serenity looked to her daughter, pausing in her walking as she said "I've also been hearing a few things about you, the Kingdom's been in good hands since I've been away. You've done good Serena."

Blushing at the compliments, Serena looked down in slight embarrassment at the ground "Well.... You've taught me well mother. I only ever followed your example." She shifted her gaze upwards to look Serenity in her eyes "I only want to do well for the Moon Kingdom and make you proud."

Serenity placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder, giving her some reassurance while speaking "You have done well Serena and you've made me proud. Over the last few years you've worked so hard and accomplished much. You're everything I could have ever asked for in a daughter and a successor."

Her face flushing, Serena tried to deflect the conversation away from the compliments, unable to really deal with them when the knowledge of what had forced her into such maturity was there at the back of her mind constantly. Serena clumsily tried to talk about something else "Preparations about for the Gala are going well. It's going to be a really enjoyable evening. All the invitations have been accepted and room set aside for them. Darien and I can be the official hosts if you want to relax after the last few days."

Waving her hand as she dismissed the notion, Queen Serenity shook her head "It's my duty to be there as host Serena. I'm Queen so it's only expected. Besides, I'll have help at least; I managed to get Kami to volunteer with hosting."

Unable to stop herself, Serena gave a giggle at the thought, she knew Kami hated formal meetings but couldn't say no to her mother. Still, at least Serena could now spend the entire Gala with her husband and daughter, something she looked forward to immensely "So that's why he's hiding away with the Ministers, got all grumpy at having to spend the evening with you."

Rolling her eyes at the teasing, Serenity playfully admonished her daughter "Are you saying that he won't enjoy the pleasure of my company? Serena you wound me!"

Both laughed at this, enjoying this quiet moment together, just having light hearted fun away from their duties. It was a fleeting moment however as Kami waved over to the daughter and mother, gaining their attention to bring them over to the Ministers. Sighing in unison, both realised that duty called once more and started to walk towards the group "It never ends does it?" Serena asked out loud.

"No it doesn't." Serenity answered, smiling sadly at her daughter "Just remember to make time for your loved ones."

"I will mother." Serena answered thinking about her daughter. Nothing would become between them, that she was certain of.

XxX

In order to touch down on the Moon Kingdom, the _Puar _needed to find a secluded spot, use its signal jam to avoid detection by the radars of the Military and finally touch down without being spotted. All three measures had been met by touching down in a small canyon, far away from most major towns and roads. It was here that the crew and their passengers were too meet with a contact that was to lead both Gero and Ephraim to Lunos. Surprisingly, the contact had been there on time, although he wasn't quite as cheerful as was hoped.

The contact was a fairly handsome man with flowing brunette hair down to his shoulders. His face was marred by a long jagged scar that went across his cheek to underneath his ear. He spoke harshly, looking strangely uncomfortable in his surroundings as if they held something over him "... guide you to a hotel in Lunos; you'll be staying there until the time comes for the boy to fulfil his mission." He stopped in his instructions to give Ephraim the first proper look since he had exited the Ship several minutes ago, giving him an odd look that went over the young man's head.

"So we're to be left in the lion's den." Gero sneered after the contact had finished his words "What're we supposed to do in the remaining days? Hope not to be caught by the Moon Kingdom?"

A snarl crossed the man's face at Gero's words, not liking his tone in the slightest "You'll do what you're told old man. I've little patience for anyone who questions Galaxia's orders. You and your..." Once again, the man stopped as he faced Ephraim, the look on his face contorting into confusion as something at the back of his mind leapt up and down to try and get his attention.

Not noticing this, Ephraim chirped in with a helpful "I'm his grandson." He then looked down at the envelope the contact had given Gero earlier, money and the address to their hotel contained within "Is there enough for the others?" He asked suddenly, motioning towards the crew of the _Puar_.

Giving a laugh, Yamcha shook his head "Not likely, we'll take our money and go as the deal said."

"The deal's been changed." The contact snapped "You're to remain here on the Moon Kingdom as the method of escape for Gero and his... grandson."

Immediately Yamcha, Krillin, Ryoko and Eighteen shouted out in protest of this, Yamcha's voice being the loudest in demanding "Give us one good reason why we should risk ourselves for..."

"You'll be paid quadruple what you are now." Was the reply, silencing all four protesting voices instantly. Putting his hand into his pocket, the contact pulled out another envelope and gave it to Yamcha "As a token of our good faith, here's a down payment."

Taking the envelope wordlessly, Yamcha opened it slightly and started ruffling through the notes silently, his eyes widening as he realised how much was there. Trying to contain his excitement, Yamcha passed the envelope over to Ryoko before speaking, trying to hold the quiver of greed in his voice "T-That is a very good token. We'll stay here for now." His natural instincts of cynicism and survival cut in however as he added "Provided the Moon Kingdom doesn't find us. Especially now that we've got Cosmos on our tail."

Smirking in a superior manner, the contact replied "We can deal with Cosmos; he is but a man after all."

"As much as a man who gave you that scar?" Gero sneered "From the looks of it, I'm willing to state that it came from a battle, some kind of shrapnel going across your face maybe?"

Glaring at the Doctor, the contact walked right up to his, his finger pointing threateningly at him "You dare speak to a follower of Galaxia in such a manner?!"

Ignoring the finger, Gero knew Ephraim had stood right beside him to respond to the threat and was bolstered by the fact "A stooge of Galaxia is still a stooge. And you were someone else's stooge beforehand weren't you? Was Queen Beryl ever this degrading to you?"

The rage that flashed across the contact's face was confirmation enough about that barb. He stepped forward only to stop at seeing Ephraim stand forward to defend Gero. Glaring impotently at both of them, the contact turned on his heel with an exclamation of annoyance "Just see to it you do your job that you've been brought here to do. If you fail, I'll see to it that you'll pay for the insults today." With that, dark smoke surrounded him and the contact vanished from sight, leaving the group alone.

After a moment's silence, Ephraim looked to Gero "Are we going grandpa? We need to get to the hotel Mr. Nephlite told us about."

A chuckle came from Ryoko's lips at those words "Mr. Nephlite? You were ready to beat him to a pulp just a moment ago."

Looking somewhat sheepish, Ephraim muttered "He was making threats against grandpa. I had to defend him."

"For which I'm grateful." Gero said, less than honestly "But we have to be away. Lunos is some time away and the sooner we're there, the better."

"Aww... I don't suppose Ephraim could stay with us? Just until you need him?" Ryoko said, pouting slightly at the fact he would be leaving before she could have her wicked with him.

"We shall be leaving now." Gero snapped forcefully, his patience long frayed from having been on the _Puar _"No time to lose, we shall meet you when our mission is completed."

As Gero started walking, Ephraim could only give a quick wave to the others before heading with off, blushing deeply at seeing Ryoko blow him a kiss. Gero didn't even look back towards Ephraim as walked alongside him, focused on just doing the mission and get away, the thought that Galaxia considered him expendable not penetrating his arrogance.

To be continued...

**Shiva the Sarcastic – Thanks for the words, it will be a surprise when Sasami realises what's going on but how will she take it? We'll see...**

**LanceXstorm5 – I need to lay off some of them considering the juggling I'm having to do so far. Hopefully it won't get to confusing or convoluted with my writing.**

**Lord Edric – That'll be the Son family gene. Can't realise anything without it being spelt out to them. ;)**

**Egohan – Well fate isn't quite done with Cosmos yet. We'll have to see what happens.**

**Beauxmortexx – We'll see some progression from Ephraim and how it'll play out now that he's on the Moon Kingdom.**

**Oy vey... I'm really sorry about this. My muse decided to desert me before I got a virus which left me without writing ability for several weeks. This chapter felt like a real chore at times and I apologise if it reads like one. I'll come back and re-write it at some point to make it better. As ever, constructive criticism is welcomed and please, read and review.**


	7. Recognition

Seven Years Later

Going from living alone with a cranky old man, only visited at times by farmers to walking straight into one of the largest cities of the Central Quadrant in full party mode was, to understate things, rather overwhelming. Ephraim had walked through the city with his mouth agape, barely noticing where he was walking he was so fascinated by the sights around him. Gero had allowed his charge to do so, feeling it only helped with the idea that they were visitors from an unimportant spot in the Quadrant. Getting to the hotel through the throng had taken some time with people everywhere in the streets, getting ready for the Celestial Gala.

The hotel itself was small, out of the way and rather cramped with every room full with people in Lunos for the Gala. Gero had been more than infuriated with the fact their rooms were so small as to only fit two beds that were practically side by side. With a bathroom that was pretty much standing room only, Gero was reflecting on how very much he loathed working for Galaxia. He knew she was insane with plots that made little sense to anyone else but her and possibly not even then.

Gero was brought down from his reveries by Ephraim looking out from the small window in their room that showed a clear view of the street below. The bustling groups of people, the sheer amount of life was beyond anything Ephraim had ever seen before. And he was soaking up every moment of it all. Such excitement, everything new to him... supposedly. Something deep inside Ephraim stirred upon seeing the sights of Lunos, little sparks on things hidden in his mind flashed quickly before disappearing. It had only been a minor thing at first but now, the sensation was starting to seriously nag at the young man.

"Ephraim! Get away from that window! You don't know who's looking in!" Dr. Gero snapped. Being in Lunos had made the older man extremely wary and more than a little paranoid. He was constantly on the lookout for anyone who might have a chance of realising who he was. Gero looked only to wait until the Gala itself where he would let Ephraim strike before fleeing. With or without his 'grandson' if needs be. The Doctor kept realised Ephraim was still fidgeting even turned away from the window and realised that there was no way he would be able to stand that for much longer.

"Can't you stay still at all Ephraim? You're not a child anymore!" Gero barked as Ephraim twitched constantly to have another look out of the window.

The young man managed to go a full three seconds of obeying the order before craning his neck back to look through the window once more. Gero stifled a groan as Ephraim tried to peer through the glass. Normally when he was being bothered by the young man, he'd send him into the specially designed training room to get him out of his hair. It had been something of a minor point of pride for Gero, having constructed it not only to be able to withstand the intense strength Ephraim exhibited but also disguise the power from whoever might have been seeking it. It had been hard, but worth it as Ephraim had been able to train in complete secrecy for seven years, despite his reluctance for violence.

Now however, there was nowhere to send the boy, no refuge for the Doctor to gain his peace and quiet. The thought of spending the rest of the remaining time between now and the actual event locked up in a room with Ephraim was enough to make Gero realise he was unable to do it. Giving an exasperated sigh, the Doctor motioned his head towards the door "I suppose we can risk a walk round the local area, get to know the ground should anything occur."

Ephraim's eyes lit up at the suggestion of exploring the streets of Lunos, the teeming amount of life that had opened up to him these last few days was exhilarating. He had never before remembered seeing more than seven people at a time. But after first seeing New Lunos and then the colony's original namesake, his mind was rife with the possibilities that had opened up before him. As both he and Gero walked out of the hotel and onto the street, Ephraim gazed in wonderment at his surroundings, looking at everyone and everything to get it all in.

While Ephraim was more than happy to soak up the sights, Gero was beginning to regret his decision. What if someone recognised either of them? The Doctor tried to dismiss such thoughts as paranoia but it was all too easy for him to remember that he was still a wanted man and all it took was the boy to do some investigation into how the War with the Dark Kingdom ended and all would be ruined. Before he could think twice however, Ephraim had already started to walk amongst the crowd, determined to find everything he could.

For a minute, Gero looked on as his so called grandson practically skipped amongst the people setting up stalls, putting up decorations or just generally walking along the street, greeting them or asking questions about their tasks. Surprised that Ephraim was actually taking an interest in these strangers, Gero finally stepped in as he started to talk to a young man with blonde hair, about the same age with Ephraim. Gero recoiled slightly as he stepped forward and saw the young man's arm; it was a robotic one, the sort that would replace a lost limb. A twinge of pride went through Gero though as he recognised the design as being one of his own from decades ago.

"... The streamers will look nice across the roof I think..." Ephraim said in agreement to the person beside him before he noticed Gero walking up behind them "Oh, grandfather! Do you think these streamers would look best going across the roof or just above the doorway?"

Taken aback by the question, Gero looked down to the streamers which were, in his opinion, a garish cross of dull red and bright blue "Just on the roof I believe." He said, not adding his reasoning that less people would be able to see it on the roofs "And I see you've made a new friend."

The young blonde man held out his flesh and bone hand and smiled "Pleased to meet you, my name's Orion."

Gero reluctantly gripped and shook Orion's hand, somewhat surprised by the firmness of it. At a loss for anything else to say, Gero blurted out "I see you have the Red Thirteen model arm there, a fine choice."

Rather than get embarrassed or infuriated at such a faux pas, Orion simply shrugged his shoulders "It's cheap but it was the best one my family could get for me. Wasn't much choice after the city was practically flattened."

The embarrassment at his design being labelled 'cheap' was quickly done away with as Ephraim's face took on an expression of extreme curiosity "Flattened? By what?"

Orion actually looked shocked at such a question "Where you've been the last seven years Ephraim? The War with the Dark Kingdom ringing any bells to you?"

"Well, yes..." Ephraim started "But the Dark Kingdom was the go..."

"Ephraim! Enough!" Gero exclaimed, not wanting their whole cover to be blown. As Ephraim shut his mouth, Gero turned to Orion "You must excuse my grandson. While he certainly polite enough, his wits are somewhat lacking. I apologise for intruding upon your work. Come along Ephraim, we have much ground to cover with what little time we have."

Giving a wave to Orion as he was grabbed by the arm and towed away, Ephraim leant down to whisper into Gero's ear "What did he mean grandfather? Surely the Dark Kingdom would never have attacked innocent people!"

In his mind, Gero felt gears winding to come up with an adequate lie. He hadn't told Ephraim any details of the final attack by the Dark Kingdom for fear it could have reawakened his memories and instead had kept to half murmured generalities regarding the events. Realising he needed more however, Gero said "One thing you should keep in mind Ephraim, the people are currently under a hypnotic spell by the Queen. In her need for adulation, she has the people thinking that the Moon Kingdom was on the side of righteousness during the War. Such is her need for worship that all inhabitants believe her lies due to her magic, making them love her all the more. Attempt to break their delusions, and it could backfire badly upon the both of us. You must not speak the truth, do you understand?"

Ephraim's mouth opened at those words, amazed and horrified at the Queen's actions. He found it hard to believe the need for love could be twisted in such a perverse fashion. He had thought that the Moon Kingdom was evil before but this was on an entirely different level. Now more than ever Ephraim realised the need to bring down the Moon Kingdom once and for all.

"I understand grandpa. I shall not fail you." Ephraim answered "I'll make sure I'll bring down those vile oppressors!"

Nodding slightly, Gero silently marvelled at how gullible the boy was. When the time came for him to strike, Gero found himself wondering just what his expression would be when he found out the real truth. Although Gero would make sure he was far, far away before that happened. With that thought in mind, Gero continued down the street, Ephraim to his side as they soaked up the sound and sights of the city.

XxX

Fury was an emotion that Queen Serenity was generally unaccustomed with. She had experienced it on occasion with varying degrees of justification but this was an entirely new level she was experiencing. It had been seven long years since she had seen Cosmos, the man who had risked an entire Kingdom for reasons she had never truly fathomed. Banished from her sight, she had only ever thought about him when being forced to promote him to a higher rank for his services in the Eastern Quadrant. After that, she had put him out of mind, not even considering thinking about him due to the rage he inspired in her.

She was now being forced to give him thought however, due to the man breaking her explicit order and having the audacity to enter the Central Quadrant and even the space of the Moon Kingdom itself. Despite her anger however, she had the foresight to go to her private quarters to communicate with his ship, not wanting to give an outburst in front of anyone should her rage get the better of her.

It didn't take too long to configure the Com-Screen that had been especially taken to her room to the frequency of the one of Cosmos' ship, the _Serene_. She would have strong words for Lieutenant-Colonel Cosmos indeed...

After flickering for a moment, the Com-Screen call was answered and for the first time in seven years, Cosmos and Queen Serenity saw each other. There was a brief moment where both locked eyes upon each other and despite the thousands of miles between them and the fact that they were talking with a screen, both could instantly see the changes that age had had upon the other. For Cosmos however, Serenity's age only seemed to add to her refinement and beauty and he paused at the sight.

Queen Serenity on the other hand, had no such feelings and glared at Cosmos after her initial surprise "I trust you have a justifiable reason in disobeying a direct order Lieutenant-Colonel?" She asked with a voice as icy as possible.

Cosmos cleared his throat after hearing the voice that he had not heard in seven years, a time far too long in his opinion. Clearing his mind, Cosmos responded in the most respectful tones "Your Majesty, it does me good to see you in such good health. I apologise unconditionally for diso..."

"The reason Cosmos." Queen Serenity interrupted, not caring for any niceties "You dare to disobey my command now? For what purpose?"

The tone Queen Serenity used was calm, but tense. Cosmos recognised just how on edge the Queen was. Cosmos was somewhat grateful he had taken the call in his private quarters. If she gave an order for Cosmos to be thrown into the brig and return back to the Eastern Quadrant, the crew might have chosen loyalty to her command over his, something Cosmos wasn't too happy to risk.

"We are in pursuit of a group of bandits called the Wolf Fang Gang who we're following to the Moon Kingdom." Cosmos said, the frown crossing Serenity's face telling him this wasn't enough and he went on "We believe that they're taking Dr. Gero with them. Witnesses from Sulu Four reported that Gero has been living there for some decades now."

Despite his addition, Queen Serenity still looked less than satisfied "A group of bandits and a scientist of dubious reputation. This hardly seems like such a pressing matter for your attention. Nor does it seem a good enough reason for you to go against your Queen."

Realising that the Queen would probably never accept any reason beyond the truly ludicrous, Cosmos went just for that "We have uncovered various pieces of information that point to... Prince Gohan being alive." He said, getting out in one.

It took some time for Queen Serenity to react, her face slowly going into the expression a person has when they cannot believe the other person has told them. She tried for a minute to digest this before taking refuge in the obvious "But Gohan died. He was killed by Queen Beryl."

Cosmos sympathised with the Queen's reaction. It sounded completely ludicrous but ever since taking Piccolo on board the ship, the tiny little bits of information seemed to slot together. The strength needed to bring the _Serene _down would have been immense, far beyond that of any normal being. Added to that was Piccolo's insistence and appearance at the time when Dr. Gero had also resurfaced. Something about this was setting off all sorts of alarms for Cosmos' instincts that he was finding increasingly hard to ignore "We have amassed a certain amount of circumstantial evidence which suggests otherwise your Majesty. Do you remember the Namekian, Piccolo?"

"Of course I do. Is he there with you?"

"Yes, he reports having... sensed Prince Gohan's life force at some point; he is insistent on that very point and has been trying to track it ever since we came across him." Cosmos said, trying to avoid mentioning the circumstances in which they found Piccolo "We hope to continue our search when we touchdown in..."

"You shall not." Queen Serenity snapped at Cosmos "Do you honestly believe I'd let you stand once more upon the Moon Kingdom in light of your actions? I have not forgotten, nor forgiven Cosmos. You shall remain in orbit until I order you to leave. Is that understood?"

The look of disappointment on Cosmos' face was immense and he had to pause before managing to say "V-Very well your Majesty."

Showing no signs of sympathy or mercy, Serenity went on "And send us all the information you have regarding Gero and the Wolf Fang Gang. At least make yourself somewhat useful." With those words, Serenity leant over and switched off the Com-Screen. In all honesty, it was a petty move but Serena had grown sick of the man even in that short conversation. It had been all she could do not to order him arrested on the spot. Leaning back in her chair, Serenity breathed out and thought about what Cosmos had said.

Gohan alive? It was impossible surely! A fabrication of some sort to give Cosmos a flimsy excuse to return. But... The way the man had spoken, how he'd looked, might there be something to it all? Serena bolted up, shaking such nonsense from her head. There was no way it could be true, Gohan had perished at the hands of Queen Beryl, to suggest he was actually alive... But then, Queen Serenity thought about something else Cosmos had said, about Piccolo. He had vanished after Gohan's death, why would he return now? And with Cosmos no less, a man he had hated? Too many things failed to add up in this and Serenity realised that she'd have to look into it.

Rising from her chair, Serenity resolved to look into this by herself. She couldn't bring Serena into this, to bring up even the possibility of Gohan being alive would be far too cruel too her. No, it would be best if she kept this to the bare minimum of people. Leaving the room behind her, Queen Serenity thought about where to start and, more importantly, where it would end.

XxX

"Are you sure we couldn't have waited until we were at least set up in the Palace before coming here?" Sasami asked, glancing around the crowded street.

"And wait for one of the guards to recognise me? Are you insane?" Washu snapped, pulling the hood over her head tightly "I'd rather not risk being thrown into a prison cell thank you very much."

Sighing with some exasperation, Sasami looked round the street they were in as it bustled with activity. To avoid risking detection, Washu had decided to avoid the Palace and instead find lodgings in the city as a way to blend in. Although that was getting increasingly hard as they discovered that there were few lodgings left due to the celebrations. Sasami began to wonder why exactly she had come given that she could be enjoying a long bath and trying to gear herself up for a meeting with Princess Serena. But, Washu had needed a helping hand to get round the city and Sasami had felt that getting a brisk walk would help clear her head. The fifteenth rejection from hotels had worn down her patience now though and she was starting to have second thoughts.

The street was full of people, moving about their business while traders shouted out their wares all along the street while others either hung up decorations or walked quickly in a bid to complete a task. It was hectic and noisy and was starting to give both Sasami and Washu a headache. Both wearing cloaks with hoods to obscure their features although Sasami began to reflect upon the fact that two people walking around with similar looking silver cloaks, trying to hide their faces didn't exactly blend in as well as they should.

Tired of the same old rejections from the hotels and deciding to cut it all short, Sasami turned to Washu to insist that she come back to the Palace when something caught the corner of her eye. She paused and glanced towards the end of the street where an old man was dragging a young man by the arm as he glanced around in curiosity and wonder at everything he saw. His face looked at hers for a split second before turning away but in that second, Sasami felt something akin to a thunderbolt strike to her core.

"Gohan." She whispered. The face was different, it had aged from a boy to a young man but it was the same happiness, the same smile, the same spark in his eyes that she remembered from seven long years ago. For a moment, she forgot the impossibilities, the fact she had spent seven years knowing he had died and instead, that second of glimpsing his face convinced her. It was Gohan. He was alive.

"What was that?" Washu asked, turning her head to the stunned Princess.

"It's Gohan." Sasami said, a little louder as she watched the young man be pushed across the street by the older man, hope rising in her as she took a breath and shouted "GOHAN! IT'S ME! SASAMI!"

To be continued...

**Shiva the Sarcastic – Well we've got the reunion right up in the next chapter... Whenever that is... ^^;**

**LanceXstorm5 – Yeah, sorry about the first chapter. I will go back and edit that like nothing else so it isn't quite as bad. Glad you enjoyed the rest of it though!**

**Lord Edric – Yeah, Gohan's never been the most clued in when it comes to girls alright. Certainly is naive but I reckon he'll fit in at some point or other with at least one. :p**

**Venus914 – Ah, probably won't care for the next few chapters then. Hope you enjoy the rest though.**

**Echelon9 – IT LIVES! I'm back on top of this, sorry about it all but I've had so many differing projects, interests and other stuff that this story suffered for it. Hopefully, after an eleven month break I can keep up with the quality. Thanks for the offer, but I'll stick with it for now.**

**I am really, really, REALLY, sorry about this everyone. I've had a lot happen the last eleven months with differing projects, interests and other distractions that I haven't managed to devote any attention at all to this. Hopefully this will be amended and I can get back to a semi-regular schedule. Hope you enjoyed and if you're still reading, let me know how you feel about these developments!**


	8. An Old Friendship

Seven Years Later

Hope can be a wonderful and terrible thing. The rise of the spirit as it feels the elation of finally getting something it has needed or the relief of some terrible event is something that can truly lift someone to a state of near euphoria. But if that hope should be betrayed or let down, then what was euphoria can easily become despair.

No one felt this more keenly than Princess Sasami as the man she had shouted out to, thinking it was Gohan, turned around and looked over to her. She still saw the same features that she had done in the boy from all those years ago but when he looked directly at her, there was nothing to show that he felt anything similar "Gohan?" She asked, her voice much weaker as reality started to hit that it couldn't possibly be Gohan at all.

The young man looked behind him and saw no one else had reacted to Sasami's call in her eyesight. He eventually pointed to himself and looked somewhat confused "Are you talking to me?" He asked politely.

By now, despair had hit Sasami as she realised how stupid this was. Gohan was dead and his body had been disintegrated, why should she honestly believe that he would be walking merrily down the street? Even if he looked so much like him, how could she have been so impulsive as to shout out in the middle of the street? Blinking back tears, she eventually said "N-No... I'm sorry."

Her sadness must have shown as the young man stepped forward, getting through the crowd "Are you alright?" He asked as he was quickly followed by a very irate looking old man.

"She's fine really, no need to worry about it." Washu quickly interjected before tugging at Sasami's arm "Ain't that right Sammy? We've got to get going."

"As do we." The old man said as he tugged on the younger man's arm with something approaching genuine fear "Come along Ephraim, we have more important things to do."

Still trying to find some way to prevent herself from openly crying, Sasami latched onto the one detail she got that grounded all this in reality "Your name's Ephraim?"

Ephraim smiled and nodded, seemingly ignoring the older man's "That's my name." He looked at her and Washu keenly for a moment "And you're Sammy then I take it?"

A violent tug on Sasami's sleeve made her look down to Washu who was more than a little annoyed that they had been put off track "Umm... Yes..." She said before sighing sadly "Look, I'm sorry about that. I... I thought you were someone else."

"Well maybe you should have made sure before making a fool of yourself." The old man snapped "Come along Ephraim, we must not hang around when we have more important things to take care of."

The sheer arrogance of the tone pulled Sasami out of her funk somewhat and Washu gave the man a death glare before barking out "More important things? What exactly? Go and decompose some more?"

Before a reply was forthcoming, Ephraim stepped between everyone, trying to calm them down "Now come on, there's no need for that." He said with worry in his voice before turning to Sasami "Why don't we help you find who you're looking for? Be better with four sets of eyes than two."

Washu and the older man opened their mouths to object strongly but were quickly cut off as Sasami spoke "We're not… looking for him but I'd really like you to walk with us, we desperately need to find a hotel room. You don't mind do you?"

"Of course not!" Ephraim said cheerfully before his companion could object "Grandfather and I were just strolling through the city, we'd be happy to help you." The look Ephraim's grandfather gave him proved how much of a lie that statement was although Sasami ignored it. She oddly felt some comfort from Ephraim that she couldn't quite put her finger on. His bright and cheerful smile put at her ease that reminded her so much of Gohan in his own gentle and sweet personality. His appearance was so much as she'd have thought Gohan would look like as a he matured that it was uncanny, eerie even.

Smiling sweetly as relief and some comfort went through her body; Sasami stepped towards Ephraim and took his arm with her hand as she ignored the glares from Washu and Ephraim's grandfather that Ephraim himself seemed oblivious too "Why don't we get something to eat before looking for more rooms? I feel as if I could do with a break, isn't that right… Washy?"

Washu gave Sasami a death glare at the before grinding her teeth and muttering a dark curse at her "Sure, yeah. Let's go. And maybe we'll actually find something more than aggravation there at least."

To his credit, Ephraim's grandfather ignored the slight and followed closely beside the young man "Just remember what I've said Ephraim." He muttered close to him "Just go along with what they say and I'll explain later."

Sasami just about heard those words and inwardly, a few alarm bells went off in her head at the words. Just what did he mean? She went to ask but Ephraim caught her eye and he smiled, causing her heart to flutter slightly and put her suspicions out of mind for now "So are you from the Moon Kingdom or another world?" He asked politely.

Thinking quickly, Sasami found herself answering "Oh, just tourists from off world who decided to come down for the celebrations. You as well I take it?"

"Oh yes, we're from…"

"Nowhere important." The old man said quickly, interjecting before Ephraim could answer. He walked beside Ephraim closely, perched like a vulture to intervene if he so wished "We're similar to you, just travelling in for the event."

Washu walked up beside Sasami, giving Ephraim's companion an odd look "So what's your name anyway?"

"Dokuta." The man said quickly, coming off as slightly practiced.

"Odd name combination…" Washu muttered before looking at Sasami who herself was staring at Ephraim as the young man walked along with a smile "So de we know where we're going then?"

"I'm sure we'll find somewhere." Sasami commented in an absent minded fashion, still concentrating on Ephraim. Her spirits were still fairly low from having lost her hope of seeing Gohan but Ephraim certainly seemed to be so much like him. He seemed to emanate a spirit of gentleness and warmth that only Gohan had given out. Reality had forced her to realise that Gohan was certainly dead, she knew it truly and it had been wild hope that had made her believe otherwise but for now, she was happy with Ephraim. She looked up at Ephraim as the young man caught her eyes and smiled, something she did in return. Sasami considered that revenge had been something that had consumed her for so long, now it was time for friendship to fill the gap.

XxX

High above the surface of the Moon Kingdom, the _HMS Serene _hung in space, waiting in impotence. On board, the impatience of Cosmos and Piccolo was near straining point as Cosmos considered the fact that after the evening, there would be only nine days until the Celestial Gala started which was the time he believed that something with Gero would happen. Piccolo's continuing assertion that Gohan had survived and his impatience about getting down to the Moon was starting to grate on Cosmos' nerves.

Currently he was looking over files he could find regarding Dr. Gero once more, trying to find some clue to the person he had been travelling with. Witness accounts from Sulu-Four had said that Gero had lived with a young boy these last seven years when previously he had been completely on his own. He had arrived among the first lot of colonists twenty odd years ago and had kept a deliberately low profile, being a recluse except for the occasions when he went to buy food. It was a mystery as to where this boy had come from… until now that was.

Piece by piece, evidence seemed to link the idea that the boy was indeed Gohan. Locals that Cosmos had his men interview spoke of how the boy had originally been seen around seven years ago, Gero always insisting that he had been his grandson from a previously unknown relation. Such a weak excuse didn't stand against much scrutiny at all, especially in the wake of the recent revelations. Cosmos could see now, more than ever, that something had happened seven years ago that had allowed Gohan to survive… but how? And more to the point, why?

Gero had disappeared over twenty years ago amid rumours of illegal experimentation and other less than savoury acts. No one had really gotten to the bottom of it and it had been forgotten, until now. Cosmos leaned back in his chair and sighed in frustration, every answer they got just led to five more questions. Gero was alive and well but why had he surfaced? Gohan was also alive but how had he survived and who had organised it?

Cosmos started to massage his temples as the questions went through his mind over and over again. Despite Queen Serenity's explicit orders, he started to realise that he would need to find Gero and Gohan before getting any answers at all. The Celestial Gala at least appeared to be the centre point of this appearance although Gero was a man of science and Cosmos couldn't remember Gohan ever having anything to do with magic. They had to be working for someone else, someone who could actually wield and manipulate magic.

But, that itself brought up an entirely new set of problems as there was no one who could manipulate magic on that level aside from Queen Serenity and Princess Serena. Unless there was someone who had been backing Gero for the last twenty years although that was a thought Cosmos didn't really want to consider even as he realised it might the only one that made any sense.

A sudden pounding at the door suddenly brought Cosmos out of his thoughts as he looked up and growled with yet another problem thrust upon him "Now now Piccolo." He called out, not having the patience to deal with the Namek at this point.

Piccolo refused to take no for an answer though as the door was struck time and time again and dents started to appear before eventually a hand burst through and pulled the door apart as it forced its way into the room. Cosmos watched on rather calmly as Piccolo forced his way in before turned and glared at the invading Namek "Something on your mind?" He asked with more than a hint of sarcasm.

Tearing the remains of the door off his arm, Piccolo glared down at the Lieutenant-Colonel and growled softly "When are we going down to the surface?" He demanded.

Cosmos took in Piccolo's mood with some thought. He knew that he wouldn't like the answer that Queen Serenity had given him, a feeling Cosmos had some sympathy with "By the Queen's orders, we are to remain in orbit and send what information we have to aid in their own investigation."

Piccolo's reaction was just as Cosmos had feared as the Namek walked over and slammed his fists down onto his desk, shattering it into pieces as he growled in fury at the reply "Not good enough Cosmos! We should be down there searching for him now! I can find him if I'm given the chance!"

Looking at Piccolo, Cosmos could see the rage and hope driving him on. Gohan had been his only friend and the only person who had shown him a degree of love. Cosmos considered the fact that the isolation Piccolo had put himself under these last seven years had done few favours towards his disposition. Taking a moment to think about his response, Cosmos eventually said "And be blown out of the skies by the defence system on the surface? The Queen is well aware of our position Piccolo. If we try to move now, every ship on the Moon will come down on us and possibly attack, which would put a slight dampener on our plans wouldn't you say?"

A long silence reigned as Piccolo considered these words, his emotions clashing with sheer common sense "Talk to the Queen again; tell her to let us land on the surface."

Once again, Cosmos' eyes froze in hardness as he simply shook his head "That isn't a possibility. Due to… previous actions, the Queen would not welcome me on the same World as she stands upon. We have no choice but to sit, wait and hope that we may reach our objective before disaster strikes on the Moon, or ourselves."

Not liking the answers he had been given, Piccolo stepped back and continued to scowl but had backed down for now "We have to find a way down Cosmos. Something's happening and I don't like. There must be some chink in the security system or hole in the system." Piccolo gave a cynical smirk at that "I seem to remember you being good at that at least."

Cosmos raised an eyebrow at the comment but a moment's thought made him realise that Piccolo was telling the truth "I do have a talent for certain aspects of dodging more official channels I'll admit. And we do need to get down there quickly..." Cosmos paused in thought for a moment before nodding "Very well, I'll see to it that we get down there as soon as possible. Might take a few days and the Queen won't like it but she's not in possession of all the facts." Cosmos looked up into the stern gaze of Piccolo "Is that good enough for you?"

Piccolo nodded in response "I can wait a little longer." He said before turning to leave, stopping at the door as he glanced back towards Cosmos "Only a little longer though." He said as a warning and then walked out of the room, leaving Cosmos to sit in deep thought about his next step.

XxX

Down on the surface of the Moon, an entirely separate conflict was taking place within the mind of Princess Serena. Her mother was sorting out some private business after a call and Darien was putting Rini to bed for her afternoon nap. Leaning out on a balcony that overlooked the entrance of the Palace and out to the city of Lunos itself. Even from here she could see some of the banners and other decorations on the streets and buildings that would be used at the Celestial Gala during the celebrations.

Serena rested her chin onto her hands and looked out over the city. While she would normally be happy at such a celebration, she had the weight of something else on her mind, a reunion of old friends. It had been seven years since all the Princesses of the Confederation of Planets had been brought together. Ever since Gohan's death, they had gone their separate ways, some efforts had been made by some to keep the group together but the bad blood was too strong.

A sigh escaped Serena's lips as she reflected on the group as a while. It had been her actions that had split them into pieces, her selfishness had almost destroyed everything she cared about and was the cause behind the fact that a group she once considered her strongest friends could now barely work up the will to get into the same room as each other. Until now that is.

With the Celestial Gala now approaching, all the Princesses would be back on the Moon, unable to avoid the call of the largest social and magical event of the millennium. For the first time in far too long, they would finally all meet face to face… and Serena was starting to become scared. What could she say to them? She had made less than adequate attempts to get the group back together due to her own remaining feelings of guilt and not wanting a confrontation from those she knew would cut hardest. But with each passing day, Serena knew she had little choice and that she had been ducking the issue for far too long…

"Something bothering you?" A voice asked from behind Serena, making her jump at the sudden interruption before turning around and seeing Darien. He saw her confused expression and smiled "Rini's all tucked up and asleep, thought I'd come and see how you were doing, a lot's been on your mind lately."

Serena nodded quietly; not giving a direct answer and making Darien go on "Of course, if you were to talk about whatever was bothering you, I'm sure someone would be there to listen, someone close to you in fact. Who has taken an oath to be loyal by your side, who's also the father of your child and loves you fiercely." Darien put his fingers to his chin and tapped in a mocking way "Hmm, now who does that description fit exactly?"

"Alright I get the hint!" Serena chided, her lips turning up at the corners slightly at her husband's teasing. She walked up to him and hugged him softly as she spoke "I'll be seeing the others soon, for the first time in years. I don't know what they'll be like. What I'll be like."

Darien returned the hug as Serena spoke, realising her feelings about meeting people who she hadn't exactly parted on the best of terms with. He kissed her reassuringly on the forehead "I'll be there with you Serena. The others will be glad to see you; it's been seven years since you saw them all. Absence makes the heart grow fonder after all."

Serena offered a weak smile at those words "I don't think it works quite like that, not between us." She placed her head on Darien's shoulder as she looked for some comfort from him "It's just that seeing them tomorrow when they come in… I don't know how I'll react after what happened."

Knowing that the events around Gohan's death still haunted Serena, Darien hugged her that much tighter as he placed his head on hers "It'll be fine Serena. Once they see you, they'll remember all the good times. You'll be back to as you were when you were still teenagers." He smiled a little as he tried to ease her feelings "Although if that happens, I'm definitely getting out before you all start causing trouble."

"Hey!" Serena said, batting Darien's arm lightly as she smiled slightly at his joke "I wasn't as bad as that!" She smiled slightly, letting out a pent up breath that she had been carrying "Thank you." She whispered, needing some support for what was going to happen tomorrow "I hope everything goes alright. I think it's time I finally faced them again…"

XxX

Deliberately ignoring someone wasn't always the easiest of tasks when you were forced to walk alongside them in a crowded street. What made the task even harder is when two other people you were walking with tried their best to include you in the conversation and the other person you were deliberately trying to ignore.

All in all, it wasn't the most agreeable of circumstance for Dr. Gero and Washu, both of whom were barely tolerating the other's existence and only did so to avoid making a scene in front of the crowd, both for the same reason of not wanting to be recognised and thrown into a prison cell. Between the two, Sasami and Ephraim walked side by side, having had some lunch (Gero making certain that the boy kept on a strict diet to avoid spending too much money) and now trying to find somewhere for Washu and Sasami to stay.

Looking around to try and find a sign stating spare rooms anywhere, Gero couldn't help but hear some of the conversation between the two younger people "… Cramped but otherwise fine. Hopefully you two will find something a bit bigger." Ephraim said; his eyes constantly on Sasami.

Sasami nodded and Gero couldn't help that her gaze was constantly on his 'grandson', something that he found less than appealing considering the state of their mission "That would be great!" Sasami said, "Though it'd be nice if you could share it with me."

Instantly, Gero and Washu stopped in their tracks as they turned to face Sasami who had suddenly realised what she said and gone a deep red "N-No! I meant that you two stay with me! I mean us!" Sasami cried, getting more flustered by the second as Washu sniggered behind her "A room for all of us! With separate beds of course!"

Ephraim turned his head on his side and gave Sasami a curious look "Are you alright? You seem excited all of a sudden."

Feeling her face go a deep red, Sasami shook it madly to try and blot out the embarrassment "I-I'm fine! Honestly!" She looked towards both Gero and Washu who were giving some amused looks compared to Ephraim's bemusement "L-Let's just look for rooms, alright?" She snapped, hoping to get this all behind her.

"For all of us?" Ephraim asked, still a few paces behind everyone else.

"Yes! I mean no!" Sasami said hurriedly, her face going scarlet as Washu started to grin.

"Are you sure? I wouldn't mind sharing a room with you if you needed the space." Ephraim replied, his expression radiating kindness and an eagerness to help. Washu raised an eyebrow, her thoughts on other such things that the boy might be concentrating on.

Sasami's blush lessened and her expression softened as she considered the offer "Really? You wouldn't mind sharing rooms with us?"

Before Ephraim could answer, Gero quickly interjected himself into the conversation by pointing to a window of a nearby hotel "Oh look, they have spare rooms there. Well it was nice meeting you but we must be off. Come along Ephraim."

The rapid pace of Gero's words and his order to Ephraim made it clear that he wanted to be away and he wanted Ephraim to do the same. Washu simply gave a smirk in reply to Gero's commands and started to head towards the hotel "Come along Sammy, we don't want to keep them hanging around us now do we?"

Sasami looked back to her friend before going back to Ephraim, the gears in her mind turning as she quickly leaned in and whispered something into his ear before moving away quickly "Thanks for your help, both of you." She said before waving and following Washu into the hotel while Gero pulled Ephraim away hurriedly.

"And what was that about?" Gero demanded as soon as he and Ephraim were out of ear shot, suspicious over the Princess's intentions.

Ephraim blushed as paused before he said "O-Oh she was just… Giving me a private thanks for helping her." Ephraim stammered, telling part of the truth.

Gero shrugged, his own thoughts about the motivations of the girl being less than charitable, especially in regards to the company she kept "At least she didn't try to flirt with you. I hope that that will be the last we see of either of those two, our mission cannot be risked at such a critical juncture."

Ephraim said nothing as his thoughts were elsewhere, remembering the last few words Sasami whispered into his ear.

"_I'll be here at Sunset tomorrow. I'll wait for you."_

Looking down at his grandfather, Ephraim knew that he tended to nap around Sunset at times. Maybe if he pretended to follow the example, he could slip out to meet Sammy. There was something about her that made Ephraim take notice and he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Maybe some investigating would help him settle the strange feeling he got from her…

To be continued…

**Shiva – Glad you enjoyed the chapter and hope this one lived up to the excitement.**

**Egohan – Well the Doctor butted in alright. As for the rest meeting up, only time will tell.**

**LanceXstorm5 – Yeah, sorry about leaving the fic but some other projects are taking up my time and something had to give way. Hopefully I'll still be able to work along with this.**

**Beauxmortexx – Thank you for your kind words and hope you continue to enjoy the fic.**

**Son Gohan – Hope the wait was worth it, thanks for your words.**

**Omegaru – Gohan's in it for the long haul now, poor devil. Thanks for your words and hope you continue to enjoy.**

**Omochikaeri – Sorry about the delay and this one, real life gets in the way as ever. Hope you haven't forgotten too much this time round and that you enjoy it still.**

**Echelon9 – Generally I'm basing this off from what I've read of the anime version of the character, never seen a single copy of the manga (Which is odd considering the popularity of the series) and she does seem a bit doo-lally in whatever she's in. Glad you enjoyed and sorry for the delay.**

**Well three months instead of ten, something of an improvement I suppose. Sorry about the slip everyone, as ever, other projects and real life took my time away. Hope you enjoyed at least and hope you have a grand holiday season. Please, R&R!**


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